Fortune's Fool
by LilyEverlasting
Summary: Too long blinded by a world of hate and war, the life of a dark avenger has a left a shadow on Sasuke, something Naruto may never be able to eclipse. As war rages on villains plot, demons take a chance, and old love surfaces anew. And Naruto begins to wonder if maybe, maybe, he can't save everyone. Sasunarusasu. Canon/AU-ish. Dark!Angsty! Adventure, Mpreg, OCs, plotty.
1. Fortune's Fool

_Fortune's Fool_

**Warnings: Angst, spoilers, yaoi, sex, tumultuous romance, MPREG, action/adventure/violence/descriptions of torture/gore/graphic language/dark themes/OCs/Death/slightly AU (as in, I stayed as close to canon as possible then veered off in my own direction) ninja world. I have taken liberties with the story. As far as I know, Susano'o is _not _a demon wrought from illusion, nor do I think can Tailed Beasts die if their hosts die. I just made it this way to accommodate the plot. **

**Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Kishimoto. This is purely fan-made and I make no profit off of it.**

****IMPORTANT**: This was edited, and rewritten in some areas. If it looks different to you since long ago, that's because it is. Also, if you are a newer reader, and have read the story before November 25 2013 I urge you to re-read chapter 5. An ENTIRE chunk of that chapter was missing, and may have led to some confusion if you had not read the original version of it. I sincerely apologize. I don't have betas, and unfortunately, these mistakes happen to me.**

_Prologue_

The boy, Yuukimaru, was staring at him, choked with fear, eyes wide and glistening. He didn't dare struggle in the strong grasp of his captor. The boy stared up at Kabuto in a silent plea for mercy. Kabuto had no time for mercy. Everything was set and ready. Guren, the crystal user, had retaliated, causing pandemonium among their own ranks. She died in a vain attempt to protect the young child. Kabuto took advantage of the chaos, snatching Yuukimaru and heading for the Sanbi, which had thwarted the sealing plans of the Leaf. Now it was time. He was under extreme pressure, and though his heart raced and felt fit to explode, his hands performed the signs with ease. Suddenly, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki flew at him so fast, Kabuto had to admire his strength and speed. Despite his attempts, Kabuto wouldn't be deterred from his plans.

He was so close to finishing, and all this time the child had remained so quiet and still…

He was so close to finishing the seal on the child's stomach when Naruto charged again, and delivered one hell of a left hook. He had a theory about what happened next. It was all a blur. Pain, dots of light dancing before his eyes, his teeth snapping from the force and tearing a hole in his tongue…But he didn't stop, his fingers continued to try and seal. He slipped, distracted by his glasses shattering as they slammed against his face, cutting into his nose, distracted by Naruto's powerful punch. Then...

It was disgusting.

Horrifying.

It was a mistake.

Kabuto had made a mistake in sealing the demon to the child. He believed what had happened was he had automatically tried finishing it when he was hit; he had tried finishing it when he wasn't done and the boy would pay dearly for Kabuto's hurried work. The world spun back into view after his vision adjusted those fragile moments after he recovered from the blow, and his stomach clenched, then dropped.

Yuukimaru lay writhing on the ground, half-sealed, pooled by his own blood. Tendrils of the Sanbi's chakra were spurting out of the boy's side, and a tip of a tail actually sprouted from his abdomen, earning Kabuto a blood-curdling shriek he only heard in nightmares. The scent of blood in the air was so heavy he could taste it…or maybe it was from the blood pooling in his mouth from his bitten tongue. He gagged on the smell, the taste. Yuukimaru's eyes were rolling in the back of his head and he convulsed, still screaming. Kabuto acted quickly, delivering a blow to the boy's head and leaving with him before the Leaf could do anything but cry out in horror at the gruesome sight.

Orochimaru was going to be pissed. While he heavily sedated the boy he came upon an interesting discovery...

The Sanbi spoke to him.

"Filth. Scum. Rot in hell!" it raged as it tried to writhe beneath the skin of its host. Kabuto gritted his teeth. At this rate the boy would split open entirely. Despite this, he saw the silver lining. Orochimaru might still be appeased...and he certainly was. The dimming yellow eyes brightened in his excitement, and his rage at Kabuto's mistake instantly cooled.

"Take me to the boy," he ordered. Orochimaru remained relaxed, even with a slight spring in his step, despite the grotesque sight of the half-sealed boy.

"Let me speak to it, don't seal him completely until I have finished." He moved Kabuto aside. The medic nin sighed, but did not argue. He watched as the demon tried moving once more, stretching the boy's flesh. He resisted the urge to look away in disgust.

"You are fools." A voice deep as thunder rolled across the room and the stagnant air seemed to quiver. Orochimaru grinned, flashing needle-like teeth.

"The Sanbi," he hissed, excited. "You are trapped within this body, but we have the power to ease your suffering." His voice was smooth, assertive. The Sanbi growled.

"I need no one's aid!" it snarled. Yuukimaru moaned pitifully then, and Kabuto silenced him with a quick injection. A low chuckle bounced off the walls of the small room.

"You think you have gained a portal to power." the demon spat.

"I'll strike a deal with you," Orochimaru insisted suddenly. The rumbling growl of the Sanbi quieted.

"A deal?"

Orochimaru grinned. Even if a demon would rather murder a human before it had a conversation with one, deals and bargains with the humans caught the demons' attention...and amusement. Deals with demons were horribly risky, as Kabuto was sure Orochimaru knew, but he also knew that the Sanbi wasn't going anywhere, and could pose him no harm while sealed within Yuukimaru.

"Your immortality will end with if you remain inside your host at time of his death. As long as he's dying…you're dying as well. You cannot heal him, as you are only half-sealed and terribly weakened." Orochimaru seemed to be in his element. "If you wish to avoid certain death, we can grant you that one wish, in exchange for a little information." There was silence for a few tense moments.

"I may just prefer to die in this body," the Sanbi answered, its voice dripping with contempt.

Orochimaru shook his head. "Come now. You are choosing to end an otherwise immortal life, because you do not wish to answer a simple question?"

The Sanbi hesitated, then groaned. "My body is in pain. You did this to me, why should I fulfill any wish of yours? You're nothing but pitiful maggots, and from what I can tell, parasites."

"Very well then." Ororchimaru tested the tip of a dagger. "You will perish with this body, if that is your wish. I only wanted to know one simple thing: how to harness a power such as yours without succumbing completely to a demon within a body." To Orochimaru's surprise, the Sanbi _laughed_. He grimaced, and Kabuto listened intensely.

"You expect me...to relay such information?" The demon seemed highly amused.

"In exchange for your existence, do not forget," Orochimaru hissed angrily. The Sanbi laughed once more.

"Die, maggot," it snarled. Orochimaru gritted his teeth in anger. In a fluid movement, he suddenly plunged his dagger into Yuukimaru's heaving chest, though he was careful not to aim for the heart or pierce a lung. The Sanbi squealed in pain.

"Tell me," Orochimaru hissed. "Or I will not hesitate to fulfill your request. Now who is the pitiful parasite, clinging to a broken form and wriggling inside it like a maggot?' The Sanbi roared in anger and pain.

"Tell me!" Orochimaru twisted the blade and the Sanbi howled.

"A bargain must be made with a demon!"it finally squealed, and Orochimaru plucked the dagger from the boy's chest. "However, you cannot use...an unsealed demon." It gasped.

"A Jinchuuriki then?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Yes..."The demon replied hesitantly. "A sealed demon...it has no freedom. We are forever locked away, our powers and minds smothered. But a promise of escape, even if it is only a sliver of what we are, we will pay dearly for..."

"So you transfer some of your chakra?" Kabuto wondered.

For a moment, the Sanbi was silent, and sighed deeply. "In a sense. I can see what you are, Orochimaru," the Sanbi whispered. "You are looking for a powerful body. I can tell you how to obtain it, if you promise to release me."

"First, tell me how, and then we'll discuss your escape."

"When a demon realizes that a sliver of our souls can escape outside the body...we will take the chance. Only Jinchuuriki and their demons can be used because a growing child of that Jinchuuriki must be conceived within its body. We mold that sliver of ourselves into the developing fetus, transferring our chakra into the life that will soon be expelled into the world. Unlike its parent, the child will able to harness the great power at will. The result is a child being able to tap into, and completely control, the chakra you only dream of having without having to succumb to the full force of a demon."

Orochimaru's thin lips curled into a smile. "I've never heard of anything like it before," he whispered. Kabuto fidgeted.

"It is...an ancient secret..."

"But the only female Jinchuuriki known to us is dead, taken by the Akatsuki!" Kabuto hissed. Orochimaru was not swayed.

"There is a way,"The Sanbi growled. "Unlike humans, demons have no gender. Even if our host is biologically male, we have the power and capability to form a womb made completely out of a chakra shield, and we can make the child possible as long as there is a physical union with another human male, as he must supply...the basic necessities for creating life. We can only create...a half of what is needed from out host…using their own genetics. The possibility of natural birth is also within our grasp with an ancient jutsu... Even so...it has only been done once."

"Interesting. You are suggesting a biologically male Jinchuuriki is able to conceive, with the aid of the demon locked away inside him..." Orochimaru paused.

"Yes,"the Sanbi whispered painfully. Orochimaru looked over at Kabuto.

"I know exactly who I wish to use," He chuckled, and Kabuto nodded. "A union with another person is called for-"

"You must use a human male either way. "the Sanbi spoke up faintly. Orochimaru nodded, and he grinned darkly.

"I can create a most powerful vessel..." For a moment there was s silence, and Orochimaru glanced at his accomplice. Kabuto nodded his agreement, and the dagger glinted in the dim light as Orochimaru pierced Yuukimaru's heart. There was a terrible shriek, but not from the boy. Dark blood spilled from the boy's quivering chest, and amidst the soiled sheets, the child looked impossibly small and innocent despite the gore that surrounded him. Kabuto looked away from the sight.

"This can't get out." Orochimaru said finally. "Akatsuki cannot know. Besides, with the Sanbi vanquished, they'll be short a demon. It was best to kill it." He added with confidence. Kabuto silently agreed.

* * *

><p>The Demon's Plans<p>

I am at the door of Hell's gates...never have I been so close to a fiery pit of endless suffering, but here I am, trapped within this burning steel. Nothing but a little seal locking me away from the light of day.

"Bastards!"

I am alive, but barely. I wish that fucking human had slain me. I would rather be burning in hell, and at least have the freedom to move amongst the flames, than die trapped in this cage, forever pacing, locked away within the body of some imbecile of a boy. Humans are such...pitiful, power hungry creatures, and they wonder why we stomp on their little civilizations from time to time.

They need to be kept in their place. My snarl is heard by no one, and it echoes endlessly through the black abyss. If only I were able to escape...I lick my teeth in thought. I am the Kyuubi, youngest of the Tailed Beasts. There are many secrets that are unknown to me. Once before, there was a chance. Whenever he heard that name...

Sasuke. I remember the name, tasting it on my tongue. I had seen the fiend not long ago. Somehow, he had managed to slip into the boy's, Naruto's, subconsciousness and travel through the gate and stared up at me with hate-filled eyes. Whenever Naruto hears that name, Sasuke, I feel his body tremble, and his heart ache. I know he will do anything, sacrifice anything he has, to have him. Once, I was almost freed because of his desperate heart. Almost.

Trapped in my endless musings, I am startled by a sudden pain. The growl that bubbles in my throat bounces off the steel and I am reminded of stormy nights I used to enjoy. The black sky illuminated with blue light and veined with mighty lightning streaks. How I hate memories of being free.

These sudden pains have been plaguing me for unknown reasons. It has happened a handful of times, and each time, I feel as though I have lost something. It troubles me deeply, and makes me increasingly angry. At least I have something interesting to occupy my thoughts. I wish my sarcasm could at least be heard by someone...

"Nine tails..."

I almost do not hear the voice within my thoughts. I stop pacing and stand very still, my fur standing on end. A sudden chill makes me shiver, and seeps into my bones. I am excited, I know something incredibly interesting is about to take place.

"Who is there?" I growl, delighted by the mere fact I get to use my voice. I wait...several moments pass and I hear nothing. A rage begins to brew within me after I have waited several long minutes, to be greeted only by silence.

"Answer me, dammit!" Snarling, I wait for an answer. The bastard who has decided to pay me a visit opts to wait a little longer before answering, testing my patience severely.

"You always had such a horrifying temper. Being the youngest, I'm sure your temper milked a few laughs from the elders."

"Three Tails?" I am confused, angry, and...strangely happy. I haven't spoken with any of my elders in hundreds of years. I wished to be on my own. Each of the tailed beasts are connected, you might call us siblings...but to me it better be in jest. The oldest would be Shukaku, having only one tail, but somehow, I know the old fool is dead. That's when I realize...

"You've died, haven't you?" I spit out. I hear the deep chuckle of the Sanbi.

"My spirit still lingers fresh on this world, but I only have moments left. I was wondering if you would ever figure out that whenever a Tailed Beast dies, we feel as though little bit of ourselves are dying with it."

"What do you want?"

"I"m going to tell you how to be free," The three tails answers slyly. I am no fool, he is enjoying this. I wonder if he is plotting some sort of revenge and using me as a pawn. The thought blinds me with rage.

"I am no one's puppet!"

"Do not snarl at me, pup!" My elder rumbles. "You can at least act graciously for being blessed with the appearance of my spirit. What I say...is the truth."

"Why not tell me before?"

"What I am about to tell you, is a secret from the ancient world-"

"Shut up and get to the point."

"You can...transport a sliver of your soul, or...even escape entirely..." My heart skips a beat. It's hardly full fledged freedom, but it sounds sweeter than anything I've ever heard.

"How?"

"...A child..."

"You old bag of bones, I'm locked within the body of a human male," I am amused, and chuckle.

"Listen to me...!" He gasps, and for a moment, I fear he has left, and my own heart seems to stop. I must know the secret...

"You have the power...to create a half of what is needed...child birth...weakens the seal...makes...the host...vulnerable. Even if you fail, a sliver of who you are...may remain in the child...you will be...connected..." His voice curls softly around my ear, fading. I silently pray he doesn't leave this world before I can know everything.

"How?"

He whispers in my ear, a secret so strange, so sweet, my heart is bounding with joy.

"Of course I didn't think you would know such a secret, I was the last to hear of it. It was never again spoken of..." I wait for him to finish, but then I realize his presence has left me. I sit on my haunches, plotting, grinning ear to ear, and for once in my life I would might even go as far as to use the word 'giddy' to describe my mood.

_Sasuke_. I laugh, maybe a little too excited. I know how to get what I want. It is far too easy. Every time the boy hears that name...I can sense the love, so much that it sickens me and makes me want to vomit. I do not believe he understands however, because the feeling has yet to blossom. Now, it is more like a seed waiting to be watered so it can grow. Which I will happily do any way I can.

Then...I'll wait for my chance. There could only be one problem with the plan, and that would be if this Sasuke character didn't feel the same way. I snicker. Oh, it is far too easy. I could practically smell it on him when I saw the boy last, heavier than the rotting stench of dead flesh.

The boy Sasuke...

I could see it in his eyes, as black with hate as they were. It is far too easy, because the only spark of love or feeling left in that withered heart belongs to the human I am trapped within.


	2. Fate

_Chapter 2: Fate_

Fate. It had been gouged into Sasuke's mind until it left a scar. _Fate_, Madara's deep baritone had insisted. The Senju of the Forest never let the Uchiha rest properly...nor did the Uchiha wish for such peace. The desire to fight, to spill their rival's blood, ran hotly in their veins.

So it was fate that had brought Konoha to its knees in the wake of the Uchiha's hatred. It was fate that took the lives of the innocent who lay sprawled in front of Sasuke, glassy eyes staring unblinkingly up into the twilight sky, where the stars watched silently. Their pale, celestial heads bent towards the earth in quiet observation, never to grace the living with their secrets. The last fire-bright hues of the sun stretched over the earth as it sank, the rays of ruddy orange light clinging to the earth like the fingers of a dying man to clinging to life.

It was nature's way for the light to give in to the darkness, Sasuke observed, the corners of his mouth twitching. He looked to Madara, standing high on the sheer cliff face where the faces of the Leaf's Hokages were carved, black cloak rustling with the wind. His face forever obscured by the spiral orange mask, Sasuke was unable to read him. He felt rather than saw Madara's eye bore into him, and Sasuke looked forward to the destruction.

"Sasuke!" A voice, grief-stricken, screamed into the unnaturally still twilight. A grim satisfaction gripped Sasuke's heart, and he reveled in it. It was fate that he and Naruto should fight. It was this fight, this end, that Sasuke had been anticipating with a fierce determination. His old childhood friend was standing in the gateway to the village, the stone walls around him crumbling and cracking. The village beyond him was still mostly intact, but the forces sent out to deal with the Akatsuki had been severely tested, paying the ultimate price for their loyalty and courage. A good number had fallen at Sasuke's blade, the metallic glint in the sun's setting rays the last thing their living eyes had the pleasure of seeing.

Sasuke gripped his blade, the chakra humming excitedly through his body as he sent it coursing down the blade's deadly length. Naruto glared at him, his eyes fringed with orange, pupils horizontal slits as he transitioned into the infamous sage mode Sasuke had heard, and sneered, about.

"The Kyuubi will be your task." Sasuke remembered Madara instructing. The gleam in his crimson eye had secretly infuriated Sasuke. The thought that this battle amused Madara made his hackles rise, and made his hunger for the other Uchiha's blood to intensify. Sasuke liked to believe he couldn't be fooled or manipulated. However, ever since Madara had whispered the truths of Konoha's inflicted horrors upon his deceased clan, his clearest reason seemed to have deserted him.

The icy numbness of Susano's chakra frosted over his bones, creating shadows in his mind where he might have once harbored feelings such as sympathy or love. Overall the chill was slowly overtaking him, pulling him somewhere dark and cold, until he was no longer a person, but revenge with a blade. It was no different than allowing an evil such as Orochimaru to overcome him, yet he could not muster the fear nor the concern to care. In any other circumstance, he knew he should have been afraid that he was losing to this unbearably cold and suffocating chakra.

Not that it mattered. None of it mattered. A chill seized him, and for a sickening moment, he couldn't remember what mattered, or why his heart festered with hate like an infected wound. It was like this every time he summoned the Mangekyo demon of hate and embraced its darkness. Every time, he slipped farther. Sometimes, he couldn't remember what Itachi's face looked like, or what it felt like to feel loved. It was as if the darkness, the rage, the bloodthirst had been all he'd ever known. He'd slipped into the world covered in gore, and he sought to die that way.

The indigo skeleton of Susano sprouted in front of Sasuke, forming a cage. The burst of cold and the burn from its chakra was so terrible Sasuke always bit back a pained grunt. Sometimes he was amazed that his skin hadn't blackened or blistered, sloughing off from the strange burning chill. Nestled in the rib cage of the terrible demon, Sasuke looked to Naruto, who had summoned an immense toad. He stood on its fat crimson head, black cloak billowing in the wind.

"Don't do this, Sasuke," Naruto cried out, arms crossed like he was some sort of imposing figure.

Sasuke laughed at the words, laughed at the anguished look painting Naruto's face. He opened his mouth, swallowing a breath, but no words came, only chilling laughter. He knew the demon was acting through him. He doubled over, a cramp in his ribs, and he coughed violently while he laughed. Trembling, he stared at the ground, frantically trying to remember where he was or what these efforts meant to him as he pushed back the insanely gripping urge to simply lash out and spill blood.

He fought hard, grappling with the black, dense chakra that was unnatural to him. It was trying to seize control, but Sasuke never allowed it to get that far.

He gasped, fending it off. From the shadowy corners of his mind, he could feel something that resembled fear, but it surrendered to darkness and he knew none of it.

The chakra twisted around him, suffocating him like a snake squeezing the life out of its prey. Eyes bulging, Sasuke looked to Naruto, trying to appear as though he wasn't having an internal war with the very demon he'd summoned. He righted himself, a maniacal grin stretching his dry lips. It didn't feel natural. He felt there were hooks tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Just give in..." the demon's voice whispered in a breathy sigh. Just give in to it, this is what you desire. Let me maim, kill, blacken and burn! Let me wreak devastation and tear into the bowels of this village.

Yes...yes, this was why he was here. To maim, to kill, to blacken and burn. The beauty of true rage was terrible to behold, and Sasuke would be sure every last member of Konoha looked upon it.

Aiming for Naruto, Sasuke sent an arrow of freezing chakra hurtling towards the blond, who deftly dodged. He took a flying leap off the toads' head, landing nimbly and producing several shadow clones. Sasuke fired another arrow, but the giant toad swung at it with his own blade before it could hit Naruto, and it ricocheted, crashing into the cliffs and causing a rockslide.

In a brazen show of courage, or maybe stupidity, Sasuke couldn't decide, Naruto charged, producing at least one hundred clones. With Susano'o's arms, Sasuke swiped at the clones. They popped like bubbles wandering too close to the sun at the slightest contact from the evil chakra.

Naruto's clones proved to be as stubborn, and they swarmed like the soldiers of a angry ant colony, each one clawing its way towards Susano.

Sasuke grinned. If this was what Naruto was going to pull, winning this fight was going to be easy.

"Is this all you've got?" Sasuke cried.

* * *

><p>The moment Naruto noticed Sasuke tremble and cough, he knew something wasn't right. It frightened him, seeing such a maniacal light embrace his friend's features, while his onyx eyes whirled as if in confusion.<p>

"This is Susano'o." Gamakichi observed gruffly, beads of sweat slipping down his large brow and rolling off his skin like water on leather.

"What is it doing to Sasuke?" Naruto demanded, eyeing Sasuke warily.

"It is a demon summoned by the Mangekyo. It's power is great and terrible, but summoning it comes with a price. Susano'o is the manifestation of hatred and revenge, it sees nothing else. It has a chakra so cold and malicious, it's said your fingers will blacken and burn with frostbite at the its touch. Its user is affected at the first summoning.

Not only will using the Mangekyo to summon it cause inevitable blindness, but its chakra will eventually overtake its host. Sasuke will eventually be lost to its power. Susano'o will cut out his heart and shrivel it to stone. He'll be nothing but a monster looking for blood. Killing him would be doing the boy a kindness. He's far too lost as it is," Gamakichi advised sagely.

Naruto shook his head. "His death can only mean my own." He sliced his hand through the air, fierce and determined. He thought of his self-made prophecy bitterly: should he and Sasuke fight, it would only end in their deaths. This Naruto knew, like a truth long ago engraved in his very bones like a curse.

Gamakichi eyed Naruto warily, unaware of the depth of the boy's thoughts. "Do not be a fool," he said, not unkindly. "Sasuke is beyond repair. The humane thing to do would be to kill him before he loses himself and becomes the demon's victim."

"I have been at a demon's mercy. If I could be brought back, so can he!" Naruto argued.

"Susano is not like the Tailed Beasts. He is a demon wrought from the powers of illusion. One cannot dispel Susano from the body without the aid of a Sharingan nor can he be bargained with. We have neither the time nor do you have the bloodline limit to accomplish such a feat. Sasuke must die, it is the only way," Gamakichi's throat puffed out in indignation.

"If he is beyond repair in this life, I will mend his broken spirit in the next," Naruto finished, done with the conversation. "If this battle ends with death, it will be the end of both of us. Don't act like you aren't aware of it, or that you haven't thought it."

Gamakichi frowned deeply, disturbed by Naruto's words, yet he said nothing as Sasuke quickly regained composure.

Arrows flickering with indigo flame shot at them. They dodoged, andGamakichi deflected the next, which Naruto found impressive, since the arrow was formidable concentrated chakra. As it whizzed by, he shivered violently from its chill, his teeth clenching.

He produced shadow clones, giving each one instructions to swarm around Sasuke, to distract him with their frenzy. As hundreds of clones popped into existence, Naruto settled in the back of the swarm to observe, nodding at the clones to his side.

While Gamakichi warded off more arrows, Naruto signaled his clones. They formed a rasengan and hurled it at Susano'o. Completely useless as an offense Naruto had guessed, but he wanted to see the after effect and gauge if there were any chance the energy could slam through the skeleton.

Sasuke and Susano reeled back, teetering for a moment, and Naruto grinned. Instead of bouncing off the demon, the rasengan appeared to have been swallowed. Naruto guessed the demon must be using the energy to keep strong and standing.

The technique was very similar to that of one of Pain's six bodies, and Naruto mused that ninja must have learned their many jutsus from observing the power of demons.

Nodding at Gamakichi, who seemed to read Naruto's mind on his plan of attack (and looked disgruntled about it), the giant toad shot out a powerful jet of water to deter Sasuke from searching for the real Naruto as he prepared himself.

* * *

><p>The music of battle was fast and glorious in Sasuke's ears as he warded off the clones. He searched every face, wondering each time he swiped where the real Naruto was. The anger that churned within him was teasing the boundaries of real rage with these tedious attacks. Finally, the blond tried something different but equally as unimpressive.<p>

Naruto hurled a giant rasengan at Susano'o, who only swallowed the attack instead of side-stepping it. Sasuke supposed the demon must be flickering in order for it to welcome the energy.

The toad then shot a lethal water jet square in Susano's chest, but his good aim was useless. Susano'o held up its shield, protecting itself and Sasuke. For a moment, the world before Sasuke was bathed in an indigo blur. Suddenly, Susano'o lowered the shield, as a rasen-shuriken hurtled his way. The demon hummed in pleasure, and prepared to absorb the energy.

Then-

Impact.

Confusion.

Hands were gripping Sasuke's shoulders as a body crashed through Susano's protective skeleton, all because the demon had allowed the "rasen-shuriken" access to its insides in order to swallow it.

Impressive, an expertly done transformation jutsu. Sasuke should have seen it; with his Sharingan exposed he should have taken care to notice the immense living chakra surrounding it and figured out what it was before Naruto could hit. But Susano clouded his vision and made things difficult to see and feel.

The demon took Sasuke's eyes every time, leaving his vision blurred. Even Sasuke could be fooled and caught unaware. Roaring in anger, Sasuke reached up, grabbing Naruto under the armpits with the intention of throwing him, but with the speed Naruto was traveling at, and granted the fact that both had seized the other, Naruto took Sasuke along with him.

Susano'o disappeared as Sasuke was hurtled into midair. He and Naruto grappled mid-leap, Sasuke dealing a hell of a right hook to Naruto's chin. Naruto twisted away just in time and aimed a swift kick to Sasuke's face. He aimed true, and Sasuke soared even further from him as they landed and skidded across the grass and dirt.

Sasuke felt the skin graze off his elbow, and he grimaced, rolling in the dirt as he fought to regain control. Naruto was on him in an instant, aiming for another kick right to his chest. Sasuke rolled away and Naruto slammed into dirt. Sasuke swiveled back around with his right leg outstretched, sweeping Naruto off his feet. The blond grunted and fell face-forward.

Sasuke stumbled slightly as he righted himself and reached for his blade. The effects of Susano'o's chakra still shrouded his senses and made his skin pucker from its lasting chill. Even now as he fought against it, the evil in it was begging him to abandon reason and rip out his opponent's throat. It wanted to see Naruto's blood soak the ground. Sasuke could already imagine Naruto surrounded by it; a dark sinister halo of death.

_Just give in, _the demon he'd conjured sighed. Sasuke felt tempted. He'd done it once before, with Karin. He'd given in, he dimly remembered, as the black chakra feasted upon his mind, so that he felt weighted down. It was an other-worldly experience to feel evil consume you alive. To feel as though you had never existed as person who'd once felt warmth. Sasuke felt as though he'd never been alive to begin with. He was only a festering hate. He lived off hate and rage, fed off of it…

Needed it. He needed the anger, the cold, the hate, the metallic smell of freshly spilled blood wafting through the air.

Remember! Some dimly lit corner of his mind not yet touched by Susano'o murmured. Sasuke battled with himself. Remember what? Why was he here, what was his purpose? He tried to remind himself as he grappled with the darkness.

To maim, to kill, to blacken and burn. Came the chilling answer. Was that all? Sasuke wondered, was there no greater purpose?

…Burn…his mind whispered again. Sasuke screamed.

"Sasuke!" someone was screaming. A man. A boy? Sasuke couldn't remember. It was a voice that for an instant, made Sasuke want to fight it. It made him want to feel again. But in his current state, he couldn't process who it was that made him that feel way, or why it was.

In the black cold, Sasuke felt a ray of warmth as a body crashed into him, knocking him to the ground. In his internal strife, Sasuke had lost control of himself, dropping his blade and clutching at his hair, yelling. Finally, after believing himself to be better than the madness that was slowly sweeping over him, the curse of the Uchiha had overtaken him.

He was dimly aware that Naruto was on top of him, gripping his shoulders with bruising strength and shouting. Rocks from the ground jutted into his back as he seized, but he was hardly aware of the discomfort as he writhed and cursed and screamed.

_Out, out, out!_ The black chakra cried with malicious glee. Inside himself, in the dark abyss that was slowly becoming his soul, Sasuke was fighting off the shadows, but their numbers were overwhelming.

_You chose this._ They hissed as he sliced through them. Somewhere, beneath the black shroud of the chaos, was a tendril of sunshine. Bright warmth cradled against his skin. Naruto was holding him, he dimly realized, but the thought vanished in an instant as his madness regained control.

What was his purpose? He tried to remember, tried to grasp the face of a brother he once loved, the face of a friend he would have died to protect once…

He couldn't remember their faces. He was slipping away, into the chill, into the black. The shadows were winning, he realized, too stunned to even try and feel afraid.

_You chose this. You welcomed hatred, delicious hatred, into your once warm heart, and now it has frozen into stone, stone that can never melt. Thus is the curse of Susano'o. You are lost, forever lost in my threatening maw. Come to me. Let me consume you._ The shadows chimed with dark amusement.

He heard himself shout, as he fought with a shadow that was constricting him, but it was too late. He felt the warmth drain from him, felt his very soul freeze, and let a primal rage burst from within him.

* * *

><p>Sasuke suddenly ripped himself free of Naruto's grasp, and the blond went soaring, slamming into a nearby tree trunk. With the impact, he felt his teeth jut against each other, and he swore he felt a molar chip. He slid to the ground, shaking himself, trying to blink away the white spots that blurred his vision. To his horror, he noticed that Sasuke seemed…colder, if possible. The same, maniacal grin was plastered onto his pale face, and the youthful glitter in his obsidian eyes had dulled into a murderous gleam that on Sasuke looked far beyond his years. It was unnatural.<p>

This wasn't Sasuke. Naruto's heart sank, and angry tears stung his eyes. Sasuke was still in there, he had to be. Somehow, Naruto would pull him out.

"It is Susano'o's curse!" Gamakichi cried. "Naruto, he is lost! He must be done away with! You have stalled too long, he is far more dangerous!"

Naruto shook his head. "Sasuke!" He screamed, furious. "Are you so weak!?" Sasuke laughed. When he looked Naruto in the eye, his eyes spun with the patterns of the Mangekyo Sharingan, the dark eyes bleeding red. In that moment, in that split second Sasuke cast his genjutsu, a curious thing happened.

At first Naruto thought that Sasuke's genjutsu had somehow impossibly backfired, sending him and Naruto spiraling into a fearsome illusion. The sky was stained red, the ground shook, and a mighty wind blew, until Naruto realized that it was actually aiming its gusts at Sasuke, tugging him roughly to his knees, then throwing him, prostrate, on the ground, as if invisible chains were holding him fast. It was a very unnatural wind, and yet its effects seemed mostly lost on Naruto, who still managed to stumble through it.

"How?" Sasuke screamed, eyeing Naruto murderously from the ground, his cheek pressed in the grass. Naruto took a moment to look around for Gamakichi, for anything. He was confused, but realized the valley was mostly the same, and empty, save for him and Sasuke.

Ah, so this _was_ a type of genjutsu. But how had it been cast? The hoarse cry of ravens sounded nearby, and a flock disturbed by the fight and wind, flew from their perches in a vast oak tree. They ravens circled, until they fluttered to the ground and came together to form an image of Itachi Uchiha.

Naruto held his breath, a memory seizing him. A long while ago, Itachi had held him under his stare, and seemingly transferred something to him, but after appearing normal afterwards and experiencing no strange side effects from the encounter, Naruto had dismissed it.

"It's a trigger." Itachi's voice was low, smooth as velvet. It had a calming effect and Naruto tried to rid himself of his current shock. Naruto could only stare at him.

"I made it so that if Sasuke should fall under Susano'o's curse, and begin to lose himself, he could be saved…by you. The powers of the Uchiha are an inevitable portal to madness. It was one last trick, one last attempt at saving his life." Itachi's voice trailed, eyes locked on the captive form of his younger brother, whose wide eyes stared unblinkingly at the apparition.

"One chance, Sasuke." Itachi whispered. He nodded to Naruto.

"You were my backup plan. I took precautions, in case Madara hadn't been killed by the Amaterasu I had implanted in Sasuke's left eye. I feared that should my brother come to learn the truth of my mission, he would not view the village is the same light I beheld it in. Susano'o can only be lifted by an extremely powerful genjutsu that can only be administered by the Mangekyo Sharingan. You must rid Sasuke's body of the malevolent chakra, or kill him. He will be lost if you fail. There will be no stopping him alive. You have one chance, and it can only be done by someone the host holds dear." The apparition began to disintegrate, his features tearing away like smoke in the wind, but his crimson eyes bored into Naruto, who shivered at the word 'dear'. Finally Itachi dissolved into shadows that burst into the forms of ravens.

The only sound was the roar of the wind as it chained Sasuke down. Naruto looked wildly to Sasuke then to the disappearing ravens.

"Wait!" Naruto cried, suddenly frantic. "You didn't tell me how to lift the curse!" Fear gripped him, unlike any he had ever known. He had the ability to save Sasuke, and if he failed, all was lost. Sasuke was lost.

"Look into his heart," came the cryptic answer, and then any trace of Itachi Uchiha vanished with the roar of the wind. Sasuke cried out, and Naruto looked over at him, fighting to make himself upright as the wind gusted over him. Ahead, Sasuke lay sprawled on the earthen floor, limbs outstretched and unnaturally still. His red eyes swiveled over to Naruto.

"I'll kill you," he spat venomously. Naruto took a breath, finding it odd how he could hear Sasuke so well despite the wind, and began to walk against it towards the rogue nin. The wind clawed at his face and his eyes watered from the force of it.

"I'll kill you," Sasuke whispered, watching Naruto with the intensity of a caged predator. Naruto dropped to his knees, eyes flashing as he looked Sasuke dead in the eye.

"No, you won't."

Sasuke's mouth went slack, and Naruto noticed the tomoe spin dizzyingly as their eyes met.

He would never be able to remember exactly what happened after that.

* * *

><p><em>Be still my beating heart...<em>

Cryptic thoughts danced through Madara Uchiha's mind. Outwardly, there were no signs of his elation. Inwardly, each thought was laced with excitement. He stood as stoic and aloof as ever, enjoying the screams of dying villagers echoing off the cliffs and ringing in his ears like silver bells.

It was all he'd ever hoped for. Finally. Salt to add to the wound. His heart swelled. I hope this burns you as much as the fires in Hell do, Hashirama, Madara thought in malicious excitement. His revenge, after many years of careful nurturing and planning, was finally coming to fruition.

A thin smile tugged at his lips. He ignored the strange feeling of hollowness in his chest as he thought so. Gone were the days when he and Hashirama Senju, Konoha's first Hokage, were rivals.

Long gone were the days they were lovers.

Gone were the days Madara thought he had felt something for the son of a bitch. The argument over who should have been Hokage had been a bitter one. Both men had desired power, and both were equally powerful with unique abilities vital for the protection of the village they had built.

Once they had desired nothing but to defeat one other; to prove their strength and cunning against the other. One day it had evolved into more, although to the human eye, it would have appeared as though Madara had never accepted Hashirama in the first place. He had, oh he had. Their passion was always quick, consuming, and brutal. Animalistic. A sort of power Madara had never known before, and once he'd tasted it, he could never whet his appetite for it.

However, he had to admit this passion never clouded his desire to be the Hokage. He couldn't describe the rage and betrayal he felt when his own clan had dismissed him. Ostracized him. Exiled him. He had been driven from his home for poisonous slander and sabotage, carefully executed by someone only Madara could have held dear.

Hashirama had insisted it was for the best. Madara had not been meant to lead the village. Madara still flinched at the memory...the betrayal. The memory of the terrible fight and being forced to submit to that horror. But Madara never submitted, nor did he beg. Never in his life had he felt such betrayal, from his lover and his clan, but not once had he begged. It had cost Hashirama, and the Uchiha, a loyalty one couldn't afford to lose.

Of course none couldn't have known it at the time. Hashirama should have known a scorned heart is the most dangerous one. Madara had left, humiliated, vowing vengeance. He spent too long slowly becoming consumed, alone in the forests, in the mountains. Nothing but a pitiful exile who belonged nowhere. He returned after what felt like a lifetime later, to challenge Hashirama at the Valley of the End to a historic battle to the death. During his time alone he had come across a horrific beast, and a most interesting ability...

He had hoped the Nine Tails would help him defeat Hashirama, and with his death Madara would take his seat as Hokage. He would change things. Of course, the bastard one-upped him. Humiliated him once again. At that point, Madara fled, allowing the village to assume he had died. It was best to lie low at times such as those.

Eventually, he came across a simple man with a ruined face, one eye, broken teeth, and no memories beyond his later teenage years. This simple man had been kind to the ancient, skulking stranger on the border of his property. Offered him water, a blanket, a bowl of stew and some stories while Madara ate. Madara had watched this man as calculatingly as an orca eyeing sea lions on the shore; this man was a man with familiar, angular features and black hair. Half of his face looked like someone Madara had once known...

He'd had his own body then. He'd still been alive, more or less, and had barely begun to think of the possibility of a new, fearsome illusion.

He couldn't test it without a decent subject, however.

Tobi had been his first really successful victim, and to date, only successful, victim. Before that momentous meeting, his little trick only worked on feeble, elderly people; stretching each one to live a little longer with his own strength as he walked in their bodies. No matter how feeble, or how brittle-boned, his jutsu always strengthened and revitalized the body to accommodate Madara. It was like magic, but better.

He'd discovered the secret to life beyond death.

Then he'd found Tobi. But the man really wasn't Tobi, or at least, he had no idea he was more than that. Madara had quickly identified the man as Obito Uchiha, once presumed dead. Just because Madara hadn't lived in the Leaf, didn't mean he wasn't keeping tabs on goings-on in the village.

Apparently, Obito been one lucky bastard (once, anyway) and had survived his freak accident, only to wake up without a clue of who he was in a hospital far off. All this time, he'd been living life as a farmer in the mountains near the border. He'd obviously suffered some brain trauma, and was slower-witted than usual, more stiff in his movements, and he walked with a cane and couldn't even make a fist with his right hand. He was lame.

He was expendable. He was of no use to the Uchiha bloodline. Not that Madara cared for the Uchiha bloodline anyway. Being an Uchiha by blood only made Obito a more desirable victim. Not only for his untapped Sharingan, but for Madara's own rage against his clan.

Obito hadn't looked afraid until he'd realized he couldn't move.

Madara had left the farm nestled on the mountain the next day. He'd left with a spring in his step he hadn't possessed in over forty years. He skipped along the path Obito had rimmed with wildflowers, doing a little jig with Obito's once lame leg.

And Madara had laughed, feeling a hundred years younger. Now he could come out of hiding. Now, he knew he could begin his journey back towards the Leaf, without needing a new host every couple of years, and finally, finally, being able to be stronger than a genin in a body. As he traveled, he hatched his most impressive plot to date, and became even more thrilled when he finally managed to unlock the Sharingan that had lain dormant in Obito's eye.

He had, after all, hijacked the body of an Uchiha, and all Uchiha were capable of just about anything.

Madara finally came across Nagato, the man with his six levels of Pain, and his faithful companion, Konan, after what seemed like another life of solitude and scheming later. They were the first of his recruits. Madara whispered of a better world, a safer world. A world without pain. He allowed Nagato to seek his vengeance against the evil in the world. He used Nagato's goal to achieve his own. Slowly, he gathered followers. They followed him like rats to a pied piper, his words a music that hypnotized them, made them believe in something more. They listened to Madara's great, world-changing plan. They worked on gathering the Jinchuuriki and stealing the demons that were locked away inside them. If they had known Madara's true purpose, they would have hid in the shadows and bared their teeth like the rats they were.

However…

Madara frowned. It was true, there was a flaw to his magnificent plan. All had gone accordingly, until that fool Orochimaru had plucked the Sanbi from his grasp and attempted to seal it within a boy who could control the terrible Tailed Beast. And for what? A little more power? A little longer life? Madara sneered. As if the second-rate ninja could have achieved such a feat. A feat only Madara Uchiha was capable of.

No doubt the sannin had believed that by accomplishing this, he could create a Jinchuuriki with the ability to control his demon without the hassle. Unfortunately, the plan had backfired. To Madara's horror, a spy had reported that the sealing had gone wrong, killing both boy and beast. In order for Madara's plan to work, he needed all nine demons.

For now, the blip in his plans was still being mulled over, so he assumed his villainous role as if he actually had the Sanbi. It terrified the ninja, and that is how they needed to be kept and controlled. Even so, the Akatsuki triumphed, and Madara loomed over them all like a fearsome god, and so the rats never stopped seeking him.

The bitterness and hatred of the scorned can never rival the courage of the naïve. Over years of exile, this was what Madara had learned from his wanderings. The outcasts, the denied, the despised, all flocked to him, seeking the blissful release of the revenge he promised each and every one. Sasuke Uchiha among them.

As if Itachi could have stopped _him_, Madara Uchiha, by giving Sasuke a nearly blinded, eye. Pathetic. What a waste. Itachi could have been great; he could have been laughing alongside Madara in triumph this very moment, but Itachi had been weak. Itachi had been a fool. He had believed he could kill an Uchiha as powerful as Madara. He had believed he could fool him, lure him into a trap once Madara went looking for the youngest Uchiha, Sasuke. Itachi had cared too much for his little brother. He'd cared too much for the village he'd spilled too much blood over. Love had been his greatest flaw, the biggest mistake he could have ever made.

Madara had no need, nor any desire, for love. All he truly desired was power. That was all the aphrodisiac he needed. Sasuke was like putty in his hands, though he was sure the boy thought himself no puppet. No, Madara was convinced the boy believed he could easily double-cross his elder. He knew Sasuke never had any real intention of joining Madara in the first place. At this point, it was Sasuke's hunger for revenge and consuming madness that kept the boy trailing behind him. Madara chuckled to himself. Sasuke had skill, he had the cunning and swiftness of a leopard, but he was young and his eagerness was his greatest flaw.

As if Madara was as weak as that bastard Orochimaru! He resisted the urge to snort. No, he couldn't be gotten rid of that easily. The destruction of Konoha was for him, and him alone. Sasuke would be deprived of his desire, unfortunately, for Madara had plans. Big plans. Obviously he had summoned the Kyuubi all those years ago, contrary to what he'd told the boy. Obviously he had been behind the attack on Konoha. Kyuubi was a lethal weapon no one but Madara could woo. Sasuke had been foolish enough to believe his denial in any involvement. Poor soul. He fell too easily into the trap. Too easily succumbed to his rage and grief after the truth about Itachi was revealed. He would avenge his brother, and his clan.

What a sap.

For now, Madara would let him run and play. He'd let Sasuke go about his mission. He'd give the boy orders and make Sasuke do the tedious tasks he wanted finished fast. The real prize was Naruto. The Kyuubi. Then Madara would watch the last hope for the Uchiha succumb to the dark madness of Susano'o, and he would laugh at the Uchiha name. At its weakness.

He would revel in Sasuke's madness once he killed the one he guessed Sasuke secretly loved. Why else was it, that despite Susano'o's dark influences, that only Naruto could make Sasuke wait and listen to whatever sentimental crap the kid spouted?

Why else did Sasuke's gaze never waver from the blond's, even as he departed? Madara hardly had any doubt, had Sasuke not been infected with the dark chakra, that he most likely would have avoided Naruto at all costs unless absolutely necessary. Then again, had that happened, Madara wouldn't have gotten the boy this far.

He would delight in the anguish sure to follow after he removed the evil chakra from the boy, and showed him the destruction he had caused. Madara already knew what he would say. _Look at what the Uchiha can do, boy. Look at what your precious bloodline limit can do._

And Madara planned to make the boy look at the life he had taken, so that Sasuke would understand. He would laugh as the last Uchiha lost meaning in life. Giggle in glee when he died.

Madara would laugh at it all. Thus would conclude his revenge, on Hashirama of the forest, and the Uchiha.


	3. Desire

Chapter 3: Desire

Sasuke could feel a heartbeat; a soft, rhythmic hum thumping against his cheek. That couldn't be right. For a moment, he had no sense of where he was. His body rocked. Maybe he was floating, lost the waves of infinite black space.

But then he felt his knee jerk in a spasm, a delayed reflex that seemed to make his brain twitch to life. With that came the realization that he was not only in pain, but he was in someone's arms, being ungracefully lowered to the ground as the person supporting him stumbled and cursed.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open.

For a moment, the world blurred into one bland picture of dirt and dust and ugly tree bark from the uprooted trees nearby. But he saw a blue eye clear as day, and memories surfaced as his vision cleared and he looked up to a familiar face.

Naruto looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh, cry, shout, or do all three. Sasuke stared at him, stared at the boy shaking his shoulders with a firm grip and shaking hands. The look on his face was something Sasuke had seen before, but he didn't want to think about it. He still hadn't even moved, could barely think. What had happened to him was barely beginning to pull itself into a clumsy picture for his memory.

Then he remembered.

The fight. Madara. The retrieval. Justice for the Uchiha clan finally served. The Nine Tails was needed to leave Konoha in ruin. Susano'o and the chilling, murderous chakra. But only the Nine Tails mattered. The Nine Tails was everything, and Naruto was here. Naruto was shaking him. Naruto was speaking to him, and Sasuke was lying there, just staring at him.

Naruto needed to die.

The bloodthirst, the rage…all of the memories seemed to hang in suspension before flickering back into reality. Sasuke had no idea what had changed, or why it was different. All he knew was that one moment, he wanted nothing more than to see Naruto crumpled at his feet, lifeless, and the next, he could only see the obnoxious thirteen year-old boy he once would have died for in that blue gaze.

It was all he could think about, and he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but his breath was caught in his throat, gurgling pitifully and unable to escape…the black chakra was pressing against him again, a horrible weight that threatened to kill him. He squirmed, fought the urge to scream. His vision blurred and darkened, and for one terrifying moment, he couldn't see those comforting blue eyes. A memory resurfaced in their absence.

_The yellow eyes of the Kyuubi burned like embers, flickering with a malice that made even Sasuke hesitate. He was awed by the strength, the horror, the power._

_"So this is what you had hidden inside of you all along," he whispered, glancing over at Naruto, who stood motionless beside him. He found himself staring back into the demon's eyes. The Nine Tails chuckled, and the sound rumbled like distant thunder._

_"You have a darkness within you even I am wary of, Uchiha" The demon hummed thoughtfully, as if he were amused. Anger bubbled in the pit of Sasuke's stomach, and he reached out, unafraid of the demon's temporary form, grabbing onto the illusion of the Kyuubi._

_"Let me tell you one thing," The fox growled, and Sasuke waited, doubt clouding his mind for a split second._

_"Do not kill Naruto...you'll live...to regret it." The fox whispered darkly. Sasuke dug his fingers into the demon's illusion, and the foam shape the demon had conjured for itself burst like ocean spray. The demon laughed, an evil sound that curled around Sasuke's ear._

_"You'll live...to regret it."_

_Sasuke couldn't think then as he returned to his body, his eyes widening as daylight stung his vision. He looked over at the boy he had once grown close to. Naruto. For a moment, he was lost, staring into the cornflower blue eyes of his childhood friend. He saw nothing else around him. He didn't know if he was relieved Naruto still stood before him, alive and challenging, or if he was horribly angry about it. It was something almost primal to was searching his inky black eyes, looking for a moment of doubt, perhaps, or empathy. Neither moved._

_"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, and Sasuke realized it then: that Naruto couldn't be disposed of with mind games, intimidation, or utter despair. It was a trait that had made Sasuke see Naruto as children. A trait he always secretly envied...and admired. It was something about Naruto that somehow rose team spirit, and Sasuke could remember stealing sideways glances, or hiding a smile. Now Sasuke had no smiles to hide._

_The rogue ninja never tore his eyes away from Naruto. Even as he slowly disappeared in a tongue of flame, his gaze never wavered._

Sasuke was being yanked upright. The weight that had settled on him disappeared, as if it had been no more than mist clinging to his skin. The warmth that had seeped through the impenetrable blackness of the evil chakra was now near him again. Naruto had lifted him upright into a sitting position. Sasuke didn't even have the ability to feel embarrassed. His head lolled, finally resting on Naruto's collar bone. His body felt uncharacteristically weak.

"Naruto…?" he began.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long, Sasuke."

Groaning, Sasuke lifted his head, and once again, looked into the face of a boy he'd tried to forget. A broad grin stretched across Naruto's face. He looked away for a second, and Sasuke could tell he was trying to hide the fact that he'd gotten teary-eyed.

Sasuke could feel his strength returning. Effortlessly, he twisted away, only slightly clumsy from the extraction of Susano. Spry and nimble once more, he took a fighting stance, unsure of the stunned expression on Naruto's face. The other boy's face fell suddenly, darkened with a look of sadness that instantly eclipsed into rage.

"This doesn't change anything." He heard himself say, but he knew it had changed everything. Naruto laughed hollowly, swiping at the corners of his eyes.

"You're such a bastard." Naruto grinned that annoying, arrogant, determined grin of his, but secretly, seeing the smile made Sasuke feel more assured. Naruto could still hold his own. Sasuke decided to ignore the thought and studied his surroundings.

"You extracted Susano'o from me." It wasn't a question. Sasuke blinked once more against the sunlight. He felt _odd_. Light and nimble, as if he'd been wearing iron chains that he'd just been freed from. He couldn't summon his hatred instantly and use it as an inspiration to move and breathe, and at this point, he only wanted Naruto to leave him alone. It was too risky to be around the blond for long without the influence of Susano'o. It stirred emotions within him he'd rather forget. Going so long without feeling much of anything, feeling something was a real shock that rocked him to the core and left him disgruntled and feeling vulnerable. Now that he hated.

"Go ahead. Try to find Madara again. You won't get past me," Naruto promised. Sasuke snorted.

"You were fighting me earlier, and I wasn't impressed," he said in a clipped tone. "Don't worry though. I won't give you the satisfaction."

Naruto laughed again, but the laughter died too soon on his lips and suddenly his brows knit together in a serious expression. "Don't go back to him, Sasuke." His voice was soft, low and comforting.

"I understand you want revenge, but Madara will only use you."

Sasuke scowled. Who did this fool think he was, giving _Sasuke_ advice? "I don't need your wisdom, Naruto. Now stand aside before you regret this. I have a destiny to fulfill." He took a step forward, fingers twitching towards his blade.

"So do I!" Naruto cried as Sasuke tried to break past him. Sasuke swung his blade, the metal glittering in the sun as it made a fearsome arch and crashed down. His eyes widened momentarily as Naruto reached upward, stopping the blade with only a kunai. Naruto grunted, trying to resist the opposing weight. Sasuke sneered at him.

What more could he have expected of his old friend? Did he really think making to kill Naruto would make the blond jump out of the way? That ploy had long ago failed. It had been Sasuke's intention their first encounter with each other after three long years. He'd known the team wouldn't let Naruto die at his hand. He had noticed his poor replacement's stance, and suspected his reflexes were quick enough, and they had been. Now, it was different. Now, as blue eyes met black, Sasuke knew why Naruto had prophesied they would die together. Maybe he too had known it all along. He'd just refused to believe it.

Naruto wasn't wavering, and the metal screeched as the blade bore down and the kunai slid along its edge. For a long moment, Sasuke could hear only their gasping breaths, oddly in tune with one another.

"What the fuck do you want with me anyway?" Sasuke hissed as he reeled back. Naruto grinned as he watched Sasuke's blade swing towards him so that the handle of the blade was making to deliver a hefty blow to his face. He got clipped on the bridge of the nose despite his efforts to escape it and cursed, stumbling backwards. Sasuke chuckled despite himself.

"You should give up on me, Naruto," he said quietly, blocking a swift punch from his opponent.

"I'm the only person who never will," Naruto vowed as Sasuke punched. He caught Sasuke's fist and released after what felt like too long to Sasuke, who surprised himself by not moving.

"I've been waiting months to fight you, and you give me this?" Naruto taunted. Sasuke grinned darkly.

"I always win." Sasuke feinted to his left. Naruto fell for it as he'd guessed, and Sasuke quickly brought him down with a swift kick to the right. Naruto fell with a grunt, landing on his back, rolling away as Sasuke's electrified blade stabbed at him.

"You can do better than that." Naruto sprang upright for another punch. His fist flew past Sasuke's face by a hair's breadth. Sasuke responded by triggering Chidori, and striking Naruto with lightning. He surprised himself. The aim had been for the chest, right to the heart. It would have been the most sensible move. At worst, it would kill Naruto. At best, stun him for a good long while.

At the last moment, Sasuke opted for jabbing Naruto in the side with it, not nearly with the full blast.

The blast sent the blond flying into the forest, skidding across the earthen floor. He groaned, spitting out dirt and dead leaves, surprised he wasn't burned and convulsing from the electricity. He had failed to completely protect himself. Sasuke appeared before him, and Naruto growled, remaining on the forest floor.

"Do it." He dared in a deadly whisper. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, if you really want to, kill me now," Naruto ordered, his voice rough. Sasuke sneered, making to sheathe his blade. Naruto bounded upright, staying Sasuke's hand. For an instant, his cornflower blue eyes burned crimson.

"Do it. Get it over with." He growled, his grip on Sasuke's wrist bruising. Sasuke shoved him away, quivering with rage. With a yell, Naruto charged, and Sasuke met him head on, pinning him against a tree trunk, the cold steel of his blade brushing the soft skin of Naruto's neck in a kiss of death. Neither moved.

Sasuke noticed, with mounting apprehension, that Naruto's eyes were once more a burning red, glittering like rubies in the sun. He leaned in close, so that his breath tickled Naruto's ear. He smiled when he felt the shiver course through the blond's body at the close contact.

"Why would I ever bother taking the life of someone like _you_?" He whispered.

"You didn't mind taking lives this morning, and they must have been just as worthless in your eyes."

Sasuke threw a punch. Naruto spat blood. "You're such a spineless bastard." Naruto hissed through his teeth. Sasuke's eyes widened as fresh anger coursed through him.

* * *

><p>It was hard to say what was overcoming him, but Naruto found he couldn't help it. The look on Sasuke's face, in his eyes, when he seemed torn was addictive. It gave him hope.<p>

_He doesn't want to kill you. He still cares. He's bluffing, call him out on it._ His mind kept whispering to him. These thoughts appeared too quickly, almost as if they weren't his. He'd planned a different approach to confront Sasuke, not this. He was suspicious, but tucked the feeling away. Whatever it was, it was working, and that was all that mattered.

"You're such a spineless bastard." Naruto spat at Sasuke, lashing out with the pent up anger and hurt he'd accumulated from Sasuke's absence over the years. Sasuke's eyes widened, nostrils flaring. Naruto had hit a nerve, and it made him smile. Sasuke pulled away from him, and began to retreat. Naruto was baffled, and for a minute, he just watched Sasuke's back as he walked away. Growling with frustration, he ran forward.

"Sasuke! Come back here!" he roared, sprouting a clone and quickly forming a rasengan. He hurled it at the Uchiha. Sasuke turned, wide-eyed and looking annoyed (or was it surprised?). He dodged it, of course, and again the two were caught in battle.

Naruto had always imagined this moment to be grittier. He'd prepared himself for fearsome jutsus and even more unpredictable emotions. Instead, they were only fighting and yelling at each other like they were thirteen again and bickering. Sasuke was holding back, that much was evident. Finally, after a clean kick to the face that blinded him with pain, Naruto stumbled and Sasuke pinned him. Fresh blood gushed from his nose, and he could feel the pain throbbing all the way up in his temples. He spat as the blood ran into his mouth.

"I told you once I'd kill you first." Sasuke whispered darkly, dragging the point of his sword across Naruto's skin, leaving a thin trail of ruby red. Naruto's eyes widened, flashing a deep red then cooling to his usual cornflower blue. Doubt he would regret later gripped him. Yet he said nothing, only growled, a deep guttural sound in his throat.

Whatever Sasuke thought he was going to do here and now, Naruto was going to welcome it like a long lost brother and take it.

* * *

><p>The instant Naruto's eyes changed color, Sasuke felt himself hesitate. Something was amiss, but he wasn't sure what. It was well known that when pitted against him, Naruto's own anger allowed a little of the fox to leak, sometimes changing his eye color, but for some reason this felt different. Obviously, Naruto appeared to be in control of his anger, as the red eyes never lingered. Still…<p>

Freed as he was from the madness of the Mangekyo, he knew it would be in his best interests to kill Naruto. Not only would he foil Madara's plan and rid himself of whatever mess he'd put himself in while under Susano'o's influence, he'd rid himself of the last obstacle he would need to overcome in order to achieve the perfect mindset. With Susano'o gone, he needed to find another way to allow the cold to seep into his bones. Naruto stood in the way of vengeance, of _justice_. This is what Sasuke had trained himself for. That afternoon, three long years ago, Naruto should have known the kiss of the kunai across his throat. _I wouldn't do it._ Sasuke had thought. He hadn't dared to think he _could not_._ I wouldn't stoop to Itachi's level then._ He'd promised himself it was the only reason. Nothing more. Naruto…Naruto was nothing to him. Only a face, someone he'd once known and cared for, but no longer.

This logic had satisfied him for years…until Sai uttered his old friend's name in Sasuke's presence those many months ago. Sasuke told himself it hadn't had any effect on him. _No one _had any effect on him when it was between himself and his goal. He'd been cold and ruthless when Karin had stood in the way of his revenge. Naruto wouldn't escape a similar fate.

Or so Sasuke liked to think. Madara liked to taunt him by saying Sasuke would stop everything to listen to Naruto's sentimental bullshit after every meeting just to hear the sound of his voice.

The jibe had infuriated Sasuke. Even under the numbness of Susano'o's chill, Sasuke had still paused and listened, still watched Naruto like a hawk. His intensity towards the blond was due only to the fact that it was his fate to kill Naruto; or so he liked to tell himself.

"Prove it then," Naruto growled lowly in his ear, and Sasuke's long fingers twined around Naruto's throat. His heart was beating fast, and Naruto stilled, waiting for the inevitable without a complaint. He'd done the same their first encounter, not that Sasuke had actually planned on killing him then. Sasuke could feel Naruto's pulse, fast and strong, steady under the cool skin of his fingers. A warmth settled over him. It was invigorating.

"I don't have to prove shit to you." Sasuke hissed, giving Naruto's Adam's apple a threatening squeeze just to strike fear in him. Naruto stiffened, gasping. Sasuke released his hold, and as he did, Naruto laughed between coughs.

He looked at Sasuke said, "You're afraid."

Sasuke punched him then, and Naruto allowed it, which only angered Sasuke further.

"Afraid? What do I have to fear? The death of some idiot who likes to run after me like some lovesick girl?"

Naruto laughed again. "Love sick? You wish. Face it…" His voice trailed and he looked at Sasuke levelly. "If you feel anything in that twisted knot you call a heart, it's for something we once shared. It's for everything you left behind in Konoha. Maybe you want to kill me, to rid yourself of whatever is lurking in the back of your mind. But you'll never get rid of it. You'll never be able to kill that part of you, even if you kill _me_."

Sasuke inhaled sharply, and for a moment he forgot to breathe he was so outraged.

_"Do not kill Naruto…you'll live to regret it."_ The kyuubi had warned him once. Of course it had, should Naruto die, the demon would as well. Yet…and yet Sasuke found himself pausing.

And yet, Sasuke found himself wondering if _maybe_, somehow, he would regret it.

* * *

><p>Naruto could have sworn he heard a deep chuckle bouncing off the walls of his innermost thoughts. It disconcerted him. With the Fourth Hokage's seal in his grasp, the fact that Kyuubi could even have had a hope of escape left him with a little fear. What would happen should he lose it while confronting Sasuke? He had to admit, he was allowing the anger to control his words, and even if it was only the slightest touch, he could feel the influence of the demon's malice tickling his mood. He needed to keep it together; he was allowing the demon a little leeway by giving in so entirely to his emotions.<p>

Naruto felt Sasuke's grip tighten and he closed his eyes, pushing away the thick fear that came from the instinct to stay alive. The next few seconds would tell him what he needed to know about Sasuke, and he hoped with everything he had that he was proven wrong. For so long he had kept faith, and he'd be damned to lose it now.

"I'll kill you right now," Sasuke promised, voice too soft. Naruto shuddered. Hoped.

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched as Naruto closed his eyes, showing him more of his throat. Egging him on, taunting him, wanting to make a point. Sasuke's breath was ragged. All those years he'd spent under Orochimaru's tutelage, his sleep had been married with nightmares. He always woke angry. Kabuto often thought it funny to comment on Sasuke's awful moods when first awakening.<p>

Every night, he was plagued by Naruto's face from the Valley of the End, and every night, he was on his knees. He was always covered in blood, and the fear was so thick he was gagging. It was always out of fear that the blood wasn't his. Every night his thoughts whispered to him. _Liar!_ _You say he means nothing to you, yet you weep for him._

_You're a liar._ He thought to himself now as his grip tightened.

"I'm waiting." Naruto bit out.

_You'll live to regret it._ The Kyuubi's voice visited his thoughts once more. Sasuke's grip tightened. He watched Naruto struggle before him, mouth gaping like a fish.

_You say he means nothing to you…_The voice from his dreams reminded him, _yet you'll weep for him tonight. _

__He couldn't bear to look.

With a frustrated yell, Sasuke released his hold and Naruto slumped to the ground, gasping. In his anger, Sasuke threw his sword, embedding it in a tree. He stalked after it. He was ready when Naruto ran at him, shoving him roughly and spinning him around.

"Why?" Naruto whispered, agonized. Sasuke said nothing, only watched as tears brimmed Naruto's eyes. He had the strangest impulse to reach up and brush them away. What _the hell_ had that extraction done to him? He hadn't felt like this in years. Rage boiled his blood.

"You're better off letting me be. It won't do you any good trying to bring me back. Don't act like a hero, Naruto. I don't need one. " He surprised himself by saying it. His voice was little more than a murmur. A tear slipped freely down Naruto's cheek, and he looked at the ground, his hands still bunching the white fabric of Sasuke's shirt, twisting and pulling. Sasuke froze. _Why doesn't this fucking idiot ever give up on me? _he thought, but somewhere, in a corner of his mind, he thought he knew why.

"Stop crying," Sasuke ordered, his voice cold. Naruto bent his head, but his shoulders still shook. Sasuke grabbed his chin, yanking his face upward. Naruto glowered at him, gritted his teeth and bared them like he was about to spew a string of curses, but the tears didn't stop and he didn't say anything at all. Sasuke raised a hand, and Naruto stilled, surprise rooting him to the ground as Sasuke swept a thumb across Naruto's scarred cheek.

It was too much. Sasuke wanted to shake his head, rid himself of these troubling thoughts. His very actions were sending him spiraling into doubt.

"I said stop crying," His voice was softer now. Lower. Naruto swallowed, and Sasuke watched his Adam's apple bob.

"Come back with me. Leave Akatsuki." Naruto urged. "Don't do this."

Sasuke gave him a long look. "What for? Why can't you just leave it be?"

"That's what friends do."

"Friends? We're not friends." Sasuke sneered, but even as he said it, he remembered summer days spent sparring with Naruto. Days they would fling insults at each other then laugh together once they collapsed in the grass. Naruto would say, "Hey, Sasuke, that was a pretty good fight" and Sasuke would watch him from his spot in this grass until Naruto's eyes would flutter closed and think _yeah, it was_.

"Right. I'm nothing to you." Naruto's voice was hollow, and he grinned bitterly.

"Nothing." Sasuke echoed as he wiped away another tear. He realized he was very close. So close he could make out the different shades of blue in Naruto's irises, feel the warmth of his breath against his cheek, the tickle of a stray golden strand of hair. _Step away_. He commanded himself, but he didn't.

A primal urge heated his blood, a thirst that had never been quenched, one that had been ignored and denied for far too long. He gritted his teeth, shoving the feeling down. Naruto watched him closely, saying nothing.

"What do you want from me anyway?" Sasuke wondered, and when Naruto didn't answer, he whispered in his ear. "What is it you see in me that you can't bear to lose?" His breath tickled Naruto's ear, and Naruto's breath hitched. As Sasuke moved away, his bottom lip brushed against Naruto's jaw line. Sasuke shivered, and Naruto shuddered.

_Step away. _Sasuke commanded himself. He looked into the blue eyes of the boy he'd once grown close to.

_Step away, _he told himself again as the closeness of Naruto blurred his thoughts. He looked into Naruto's eyes...and vanished with a thought.

* * *

><p>It definitely was not the fight Naruto had pictured. Something was changing, shifting, and Naruto wasn't sure if he was terrified or immensely excited for it.<p>

_"You have one chance, and it can only be done by someone the host holds dear."_ Naruto remembered how the word _dear_ had affected him. Sasuke had always been important, vital in Naruto's life, could the same be said for Sasuke about him? Sasuke had always denied it. _Our bonds are broken,_ he had insisted. Were they? Naruto wouldn't believe it.

He looked up, determined, bracing himself against Sasuke's steely gaze. He was close. So close to Sasuke now. Close enough to _touch_ Sasuke. The thought left Naruto restless. He opened his mouth to speak, and Sasuke's eyes were wide, searching. Naruto realized they were inches away from each other. So close, Naruto could feel Sasuke's breath fan across his face. He wondered how long it would last before being cruelly ripped away from him. Then, before Naruto could utter a word, Sasuke closed his eyes and vanished in a tongue of flame.


	4. Rage

Chapter 4: Rage

Sakura knew Shikamaru was talking. His mouth was moving, spitting out words despite the obvious discomfort he was in. But everything he said seemed distorted, warped into something sinister.

"What?" Sakura said dumbly, fear making her heart clench. Her fingers felt stiff, and she fumbled as she worked quickly to stitch up a deep gash across a ninja's chest.

"Naruto is missing," Shikamaru repeated with a wince, blood slowly trailing down his face from a deep cut across his eyebrow. Sakura finished, gently pushing the wounded ninja down into his bed before turning to face Shikamaru.

"Let me get that." Her voice was shaking. She dabbed at his eyebrow with a swab, and he sighed.

"Sakura," he tried again, his voice grim. She finished cleaning the wound.

"You won't need stitches," she assured him, reaching up to bandage it.

"Sakura." Shikamaru's voice was firm, and he stayed Sakura's hand. She bit her lip. Outside of the village walls, pandemonium reigned. Every now and then aftershocks from a large blast rippled through the village. Children wailed. Women cried. Seasoned nin were white-faced and praying under their breath. The northern side of the village had seen the brunt of the attack. The hospital was packed with nin and citizens alike, and Sakura barely had time to think, let alone cry and feel afraid as she attended to burns, puncture wounds, amputations, broken bones, jutsu-inflicted wounds, and death.

"When was he last seen?" She prided herself in the false strength of her voice.

"Sasuke appeared, and Naruto ran off after him. Something happened, we're not sure what, but it's apparent that the two ended up in the bordering forests after the force of a collision. We weren't able to track them immediately. We needed to tend to the battle. Now their whereabouts are uncertain. Madara just retreated, and there is no sign of Sasuke," Shikamaru finished. Sakura swallowed the large lump sitting painfully in her throat.

"Retreated?" she echoed, wondering if she could allow herself, just this once, to crumble and think of the worst.

Shikamaru nodded. "He fell back. We're unsure as to why, but the absence of Sasuke is my guess. I'm thinking he gave Sasuke the task of retrieving Naruto."

Sakura felt sick. Could Madara have fallen back because Sasuke had successfully captured Naruto? Still…

"How could anyone miss a fight between those two?" she wondered, daring to hope. Such a fight was sure to be devastating and obvious for miles around. It was odd. Shikamaru seemed to share her thoughts.

"I was thinking you would want to join the search party." He got the point, and Sakura nodded.

"How is Tsunade taking to the news?"

"Not well. She's furious, but she gave you leave from hospital duty. If we find him and he's gravely injured, it's best to have a medic nin in our ranks, and since Tsunade trained you herself, she trusts you for the job. We all do."

Sakura nodded, looking back at her patients. Shizune appeared around the corner, waving her away. "Go. Lady Tsunade commands it. I will fill your position."

Sakura nodded mutely, hurrying out. They were joined by Shino, Kiba, Ino, and Chouji. Akamaru growled lowly as they exited the village, the smell of blood and burned flesh making Sakura want to gag. Other medic nin and volunteers from the village were helping to remove the bodies and the injured. Once they reached the border of the forest, Kiba leaped off his great white dog, sniffing the air carefully.

"I have already located him." Shino's deep bass informed him. Kiba arched an eyebrow, looking annoyed yet relieved.

"Where and how?" he wanted to know, looking a little put out.

"He is approximately four miles into the forest by now. How did I come to this conclusion? I had scattered my insects prior to battle for long range attacks. Some have hidden away in the forest. With their chakra sensing abilities, I have already gathered from one in particular the approximate location of our friend. His chakra is so immense, my insects buzz with excitement when he is near." He turned to Kiba, eyes hidden behind the glossy black goggles. Kiba nodded, seemingly annoyed but nonetheless relieved.

"Yeah, I would guess it would be a few miles in, because the scent isn't that strong," he grumbled. He climbed back onto Akamaru's back, and Ino giggled a little despite the situation.

"Alright then, let's go." Shikamaru ordered. They bounded forth, seeming to fly through the trees. All the while Sakura's heart thudded painfully against her chest. Her thoughts were riddled with the horrible _what-ifs_. She wouldn't put it past Sasuke- hell, he had tried to kill her with his own hand once. She blocked the memory, not wanting to relive it.

Sasuke…she bit her lip. No, she shouldn't care about him anymore. It was Naruto who mattered. Naruto. Naruto, who-

"There!" Kiba cried, pointing, and Sakura lost her train of thought. Sure enough, there was the orange and black suit, the tall and tanned blond figure she knew so well, walking through the trees slowly, hands in his pockets.

She wondered when she'd ever felt this relieved, or so grateful to see Naruto's face.

It made her wonder.

* * *

><p>Naruto lost sense of time as he walked. Most of the sunlight had disappeared, only strongest of the sun's last rays were visible through the trees, but it was just enough to see. He sniffed, reached up to touch his face. Dried blood ringed his nostrils where Sasuke had struck him. Something ripped inside him at the thought of Sasuke, but he kept walking.<p>

"Naruto!" A familiar voice rang out, choked with relief. He looked, suddenly wishing no one had found him. He would preferred to travel back alone, in silence, with his anger. He smiled weakly.

"We couldn't pinpoint your location during the fight. Sasuke-" Naruto cut off Shikamaru in a flat voice.

"Sasuke is gone." Naruto deadpanned. There was a stunned silence.

"Next time," Shikamaru said quietly, "You shouldn't fight him alone." He sounded defeated, and Naruto winced at the thought that he'd let a friend down.

Shikamaru frowned. "Wait a minute, he didn't try to take you?" He sounded incredulous. Naruto sighed, kicking at a twig on the ground.

"Our fight didn't go as planned," he muttered, rubbing the back of his hand across his nose again. He didn't look his friends in the eye. He stiffened when Sakura approached him, touched his arm. She leaned in slightly.

"There's a cut on your neck," She started to say, reaching up to unzip his collar to get a better look, but he gently swatted her away.

"It's not deep enough to look at," He said. Sakura looked pleadingly to the others, who said nothing. This Naruto was eerily similar to the depressed Naruto they had had to endure when he'd found out that the Leaf had authorized Sasuke's assassination. Something had happened between Naruto and Sasuke, obviously.

"Naruto," Sakura began, falteringly, blinking away the sting of tears. "Naruto, it's not your fault. He's lost to us, he's never going to come back and there's just nothing you can do-"

Naruto made a frustrated sound, interrupting her and walking away from the group for a moment before looking back.

"How do you know he's gone for good?" he growled at her. "How do you know that he's beyond saving, that it's impossible for me to bring him back?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Ino piped up shrilly. "It's not her fault that you've dedicated your life to a lost cause!"

"Ino, hush!" Chouji chastised, trying to placate her by gently touching her shoulder.

"It's true!" she went on, folding her arms across her chest.

"Naruto, she's right. It's not going to get any better. There's no bringing him back." Kiba agreed, not ungently, when Naruto waved them off.

"I said I would fight him, and I will! I said I would bring him back, and I fucking will!" He finished angrily.

Shikamaru shook his head. "If you were going to fight him, why did he get away tonight? Naruto, you and I both know that after tonight you can no longer be entrusted with that task. You're too emotionally involved."

Naruto quieted, trying to smother his anger, but it was difficult. He paced back and forth before continuing, "No one is going to lay a hand on him but me." Ino and Sakura shrank away, Kiba shook his head sadly, and Shikamaru exchanged a knowing look with Chouji.

"That's enough." Shikamaru said quietly. "Naruto, you're sorely missed. We have to head back to the village. You're not safe out here." With that, Shikamaru Nara turned, hands in his pockets, not looking back to see if he was being followed. He was sure he wouldn't have to. Naruto followed, head bent, avoiding the gazes of his peers.

* * *

><p>As they neared the village, Naruto's sadness deepened. Debris littered the ground, bodies were still being removed, and a deadly hush had fallen over the village. The cut on his neck began to sting, and his eyes watered suddenly, but he rapidly blinked away the moisture. <em>I should have been here<em>, he thought.

By now, the stars glimmered brightly beneath the dark veil of the night sky, and the moon graced the Earth with only a sliver of her pale face. Night was reigning. He looked to the charred buildings, and wondered what had happened. The back of the village seemed intact, the buildings untouched. He blinked, trying to pay attention, when he realized Shikamaru was talking to him.

"-You're lucky." Shikamaru was saying. "Your apartment building is still standing. Others have not been as fortunate."

_Lucky! Ha!_ Naruto sneered. He was pretty damn lucky alright. His head began to throb dully. He began to anticipate the cool sheets of his bed and a dreamless sleep.

"Tsunade wants to see you," Shikamaru continued as the others dispersed to help out in various parts of the village. Only Sakura and Shikamaru remained. Naruto grunted, following them to the Hokage tower. Shikamaru pushed open the doors for Sakura and Naruto, and followed in last. The building was mostly quiet, save for the sound of scurrying interns, the rustles of paper, and the hushed, excited whispers of a few nin. All stopped when they caught sight of Naruto, but he paid them no mind. They climbed the stairs to Tsunade's office, and he wondered what fury awaited him there. Sakura knocked timidly on the door.

"Enter." An Anbu black-ops guard opened the door for them, staring down at them from his ivory bird mask. Naruto wondered if he meant to look unnerving. Tsunade had her back to them, staring out of her window. She turned, her pink glossed lips pursed, a blue-green vein popping in her forehead from all the stress.

"Naruto," She began in a firm voice. Naruto kept his hands in his pockets, and his eyes averted. Tsunade frowned.

"Look at me." She ordered brusquely. He did.

"You fought Sasuke Uchiha?" She asked. He nodded mutely.

"Then why," Tsunade paused, as if trying to swallow her anger. "Why is he not in our custody?" She demanded. Naruto said nothing. She continued after a short pause, "would you disappear with him knowing the dangers? He could have captured you, and the Nine-Tails is the last demon on Madara's list."

Naruto bit his tongue, opting to say nothing still. He knew she wasn't finished.

"Naruto, did you let him go?" She asked quietly, her eyes boring into him. Naruto gritted his teeth, fighting against his anger. He was right. She hadn't been finished with him. Not yet.

"He disappeared." Naruto said flatly. The vein in Tsunade's forehead seemed to pulse.

"Sasuke Uchiha is wanted world-wide. You would be doing him a kindness bringing him to face justice in the Leaf. Yet you say he disappeared? You're strong, Naruto, stronger than anyone could have ever anticipated. Surely you could have surpassed Uchiha in strength? Naruto! Look at me, dammit!" She was beginning to yell. Naruto looked at her, her golden eyes burning like embers with her anger.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking? You put our security at risk, you put the world's security at risk by fighting him away from our eyes. I'm grateful you're here and alive, but I've seen enough, and I've known this all along, yet I allowed it. I can see now I was wrong. You can't be trusted with the task of bringing Uchiha back to the Leaf. Not in the state our country, our world, is in now. You're too emotionally invested in him-"

"I can fight him!" Naruto objected heatedly.

"I don't give a shit what you _think_, brat. You had your chance and you let the enemy escape. You were blindsided by your care for him. I'm amazed he didn't take you with him. Your place was at your village, your job was to protect it! Not release a dangerous criminal back into the wild! We needed your strength, and not only did you disappear, you released Sasuke Uchiha!" She was shouting now. She stopped, running a shaking manicured hand through her hair."You could have been caught. It is only out of care for you-"

"Care for me? You're just pissed I didn't bring you Sasuke on a silver platter," Naruto growled. Tsunade's eyes gleamed dangerously.

"Careful, Naruto," she warned.

"Go ahead, bind me to the village, forbid me from chasing after him. I don't fucking care." He turned to leave. The Anbu guard turned to block his path, but Tsunade held up a hand.

"Let him go," she said wearily, blinking away sudden tears. The door slammed loudly behind Naruto, and Sakura jumped. Tsunade looked to the Anbu guard.

"Take a small team and watch him tonight. I'm afraid of him acting rashly." The masked nin nodded at her commands and vanished. Tsunade looked to Sakura and Shikamaru next.

"You two, you're some of Naruto's close friends. He needs good friends to keep him under control during this tumultuous time. Watch over him, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I didn't want to anger him, but he needs to understand that as a ninja his village comes first." Wearily, she dismissed them, plopping down in her seat.

Sakura kept her composure as she walked out of the office. She even paused long enough to listen to Shikamaru sigh, but after a minute longer, she felt fit to burst.

Sakura flew down the steps, leaving Shikamaru behind with a quick "sorry" and a wave. Bursting through the doors, she ran down the street, searching desperately for a glimpse of Naruto. Finally, she found him walking through an adjacent alleyway.

"Naruto!" She ran after him.

Memories of a time spent together with him what felt like an eternity ago ran through her mind.

* * *

><p>Naruto inwardly groaned at the sound of Sakura's voice. He really wanted to be alone at the moment. He turned to face her, and she eyed him with concern before speaking.<p>

"Are…" She paused, "Are you going to be okay?" she finished lamely.

"I'll be fine." Naruto replied, weary. "Go get some sleep, Sakura. You need it." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder then began to turn away. She grabbed his wrist, stopping him. His eyes widened momentarily. She looked at her feet before meeting his gaze, green eyes dark in the moonlight.

"I don't want to be alone tonight."

Heat snaked up Naruto's neck at the implication. He said nothing, only stared as she intertwined her fingers with his.

She opened her mouth to speak. "Naruto-" she started to say, but he cut her off, none too nicely. The next day, he would feel terribly about it.

"Funny," He said suddenly, "After all that time I spent waiting for you. You finally came to me one night. After we had sex, you avoided speaking to me about it for the longest time. Even acted like it hadn't happened. Then finally, an entire month later, you came to confess to me. Of course, you only used our past to try and take my mind off of Sasuke. You used that to your advantage, because you believed I was only after Sasuke because of you. Do you remember what I told you?"

Sakura's hand fell limply from Naruto's, her eyes wide and her face pale as milk. She didn't answer.

"I told you," Naruto continued, "That I hated people who lie to themselves. Don't lie to me, Sakura, not now, and don't think I could use a pity fuck. Didn't it ever occur to you that I know you love Sasuke more than you could ever love me?" He said it roughly, pulling away from her. Sakura stood in the moonlit alley, dumbstruck and still. He didn't look at her face. Naruto was afraid of what he might find there.

"Asshole!" Sakura cried after him, tears streaming down her face. When he didn't turn around at the sound of her agonized voice, the sobs racked her harder. He almost stopped to turn around.

"Naruto!"

He hated hurting her, he really did, but he didn't look back. Today, old wounds had made a habit of ripping open and bleeding fresh. He had never admitted it to her, but Naruto still felt bitter about Sakura. Still felt sore over her seemingly unreturned feelings, had spent nights brooding about it, only to see her the next day and have nothing come of it. He shut his thoughts to it.

He climbed the steps to his apartment, ignoring the fact that he sensed the Anbu guards on his roof. He was too tired to care.

Everything was just as he left it before the battle broke out. A carton of milk that had probably gone bad by now sat next to a half-eaten muffin on the table in the kitchen. His bedroom was littered with clothes, and the sheets on his bed were in a pile in the middle because he rarely ever made it.

He shrugged out of his jumpsuit, and collapsed on the bed, burying his face in the cool side of his pillow. There, alone in the dark, the pain in his heart seemed to swell, burn, and swallow him whole. He clutched at his chest, breathing raggedly. His head throbbed more painfully. He was glad no one was around to see him. From the darkest corners of his mind he thought he could feel the Kyuubi as it paced, or even broken fragments of its angry train of thought:

_Should have worked...why..._it seemed to lament._ Uchiha...murder him next..._

Naruto closed his mind to it, and suddenly he was all alone, with nothing but the shadows and the occasional wail or barked order from outside. There had been a few moments in his life he'd ever been able to hear the demon inside of him if he listened close enough without journeying to it himself. It didn't strike him as odd enough to remember.

He didn't know how long he laid there in the dark, listening to the _tick tick tick_ of the clock on his nightstand. Seconds. Minutes. A couple of hours, maybe. The thought of Sasuke still heated the slow-burning rage he was brewing, still rattled him, but finally his eyes were beginning to droop. Before long he couldn't tell the darkness of his room from the black behind his eyelids.

Maybe he'd been dreaming before he woken up. It had only felt like seconds since he'd closed his eyes. Later, he wouldn't be able to remember if he'd dreamed at all. The window in his bedroom slid open with a sigh, and before Naruto had a chance to think about it he had jackknifed upright. He grabbed the kunai he always kept under his pillow, heart pumping so fast he felt sick.

A masked white face stared at him impassively from a darkened corner in his bedroom. The figure, an Anbu guard, had slipped in from the window. He'd hidden his chakra impressively well, and Naruto had only barely detected him as he'd opened the window and slipped inside. Naruto's eyes narrowed. The guard was hiding behind a fox mask. Somehow, this observation made Naruto nervous, his nerves electrified until the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"You don't need to watch me sleep," he said slowly, not lowering the kunai. The figure said nothing. Naruto stood, taking on a threatening stance. It was time for this guard to take the hint.

"Get out of my room."

The figure didn't move. Alarm bells were sounding off in Naruto's mind. He gripped the kunai tighter. Then the figure raised his hands, and Naruto had to stop himself from flying forward as a knee-jerk reaction. Slowly, so slowly Naruto could have screamed as he waited, the figure removed the mask.

Naruto dropped the kunai as Sasuke glided forward, and everything seemed to stop, even his heart.

He wanted to ask many things: _How did you get past the guard waiting around the apartment? Why? What's going on? Why are you looking at me like that? Why did you come here? What did you do to the guard that belonged to?_

But he didn't want to ruin the silence. The _tick tick tick_ of the clock in the background as Sasuke reached for him; the surprised _oomph_ that escaped Naruto's throat when they collided clumsily and so heavily Naruto could feel the rumble of Sasuke's voice in his chest. Their mouths met; the gasps of breath between kisses so ravenous Naruto didn't have time to think, let alone come up for air. The muffled thud of Sasuke's stolen Anbu cloak as it fell to the floor; Sasuke's murmur of "you still taste the same", referring to all those time they'd accidentally (of course) kissed as boys. The rumble of their quiet laughter filling the dark.

He didn't want to ruin the heart-bursting feeling of victory, of euphoria, of thoughts like so this is what it feels like to be close to him that he'd pushed away too often and had felt embarrassed about too many times before.

Then Sasuke lips were on his neck, on his shoulders, trailing back up his neck to his lips, and he stopped thinking somewhere along the way. It was all too surreal, and at one point, he wondered if he had been dreaming.

They fell on the bed, and Naruto had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing too loudly when Sasuke ripped his shirt.

He didn't want to ruin it by holding Sasuke too tight, to keep him from bounding out of his window, never to be seen again except behind enemy lines. He didn't want to ruin it as his hands slid down Sasuke's bare back, fingers kneading skin, by saying "you better still be here after this" or "Don't leave again. Ever". They rolled, and Naruto pinned Sasuke beneath him.

Naruto said nothing at all, only held Sasuke close, pausing when the passion became too much to bear and his hips bucked against Sasuke's.

He'd only done this once before. And with a girl, at that. A sudden, seemingly irrational fear at the thought of intimacy took hold. Before he had time to feel embarrassed, Sasuke smirked, and Naruto bit back a surprised yelp as they flipped.

"Don't think too much," Sasuke whispered in his ear. "Not now." He hissed in a breath through his teeth when their cocks brushed against the other tantalizingly.

Naruto exhaled. He didn't want to let Sasuke go. His thoughts drifted to their earlier fight. How death threats had fallen short, only to give way to a different sort of passion.

"You better still be here in the morning, or I fucking swear, Sasuke, next time -"

He shut up the moment Sasuke gripped him in his palm, sending sparks up his spine. Those sparks gave way to a sharp hiss of pain later as they began to rock in the dark on the pile of sheets in the bed Naruto never made. He kept thinking of Sasuke's hands on his hips, how tightly those fingers were sinking into the crevice of his hip bones and skin.

Sex set his brain, and his ass, on fire. Sasuke was moving too fast, and dammit, it made Naruto grind his teeth and want to punch Sasuke-

But before he could say anything it gave way to more sparks. Warm, tingling, unraveling sensations, and Naruto didn't want it to stop. He buried his face in the pillow. He almost laughed at the awkward thump of the headboard against the wall, but all that came out was a guttural moan. All he could do was grip the pillow tighter.

He lifted his head as Sasuke whispered his name into his back, and Naruto looked at the moon as Sasuke slumped against him, heavy and spent. He remembered thinking it looked so bright.

Sasuke was wrapping arms around his waist, pulling him closer, breathing hard, and Naruto sluggishly felt himself comply. He looked at the moon and wished it would never give way to the sun as he finally succumbed to sleep.

* * *

><p>The moon had moved across the sky by the time Sasuke had awoken and perched himself on the bedroom windowsill, hesitating before leaping into the night.<p>

What was he doing here? Why?

The breath caught in his throat when he heard Naruto begin to snore, and an unbidden grin stretched across his lips. He looked over his shoulder, watching the blond flop onto his stomach in his sleep.

This tryst had been a stupid, reckless move that any self-respecting nin would cringe at. The minute Naruto had gotten too close, Sasuke had retreated, old thoughts and feelings resurfacing that he believed he would have rather kept buried and dead.

Sasuke had gone behind enemy lines for this. Risked Madara's rage for this. All for a boy he'd been friends with once. He didn't bother to think that this _boy_ had been someone he would died for instantly. Once.

The minute he'd attacked the guard with the fox mask and put him in a trance by the village border, he'd wondered what his next move would be as he walked into the village, disguised. Getting into the village had been tricky enough, and he'd almost been noticed.

Almost.

He'd waited for most of the evening to pass, posing as a stationed guard outside the apartment before risking it and going in. His thoughts drifted, and he thought of Madara. Naruto twitched in his sleep, and Sasuke knew then.

Madara would have to be eliminated, as he stood in Sasuke's way. It was obvious, the more Sasuke reflected on it, that Madara believed him to be under Susano'o's control, and therefore, easily influenced and manipulated. The thought made him grimace.

Sasuke had the means to kill him. Or, at least, he believed he could with time. His eyes swept over a sleeping Konoha, and briefly, he entertained the thought of walking through its streets once more.

He didn't deem it possible, or even remotely likely. No, the village was forever lost to him. No future lay here. No peaceful one at least. He looked over at Naruto once more, a tight feeling in his chest. it was something ragged and deep, a feeling he'd felt all those years ago stumbling away from an unconscious and bleeding Naruto as he ran into the woods, searching for Orochimaru.

There were things Sasuke knew he'd never be able to give to Naruto. He'd never be able to return to Konoha, would never be able to give Naruto back that old feeling of security and camaraderie from their genin days.

He'd already crossed the lines of camaraderie the instant he'd stolen the Anbu clothing and waited outside Naruto's window, pacing and brooding and at odds with himself, unsure of what he would do or say in Naruto's presence. Or why he needed to be in the blond's presence, anyway.

He watched Naruto sleep, not knowing when (or if, should fate decide to deal him an unlucky hand) they'd meet again. He drank Naruto in. All of him, from the scar Sasuke had kissed on Naruto's chest from their fight at the Valley of the End, to the mole on his right shoulder and how his yellow hair stuck up in the areas Sasuke had mussed it up.

A gust of wind whistled past the rooftops, through the streets, and Sasuke leaped away with it.

* * *

><p>Naruto batted at the sunlight warming his face, as if he could swat it away like a fly, but it didn't work and he rolled over. He fought at the sleep still edging in on his thoughts, making him feel sluggish and unaware.<p>

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he scrambled upright, fighting against the tangle of sheets before realizing he was alone. The clock on his nightstand still rang _tick tick tick_, and the sheets were as messy as ever, pooling around his legs, but everything had changed.

For a long, long while, Naruto didn't get out of bed. Instead, he sank back down slowly, like an arthritic old man, and rested his head on the pillow Sasuke had slept on.

It still smelled like Sasuke.

Naruto closed his eyes like it would make the tears hanging in the corners go away. He bit his lip and punched his pillow; tossed the sheets from the bed when he couldn't get comfortable and threw the clock against the wall when it didn't stop ticking. But it didn't make the anger go away. He sat up again on the edge of the bed, head in his hands.

Someone was knocking on his door. Kiba. Naruto could hear the voice from outside, grating on his ears.

"Oi! Naruto! Wake up!"

Naruto found his jumpsuit on the floor. Dressed and zipped up and looked at himself in the mirror: worn, tired, and red-eyed.

He didn't see the same person he thought he knew.


	5. Regrets, and A most interesting guest

_Chapter 5: Regrets _and _A Most Interesting Guest_

_"Look at me. Don't look away." Sasuke's voice was soft, surprisingly gentle. Naruto didn't want to look away; not for the life of him. He noticed all the little things. The way Sasuke's breath hitched slightly when he entered him, the way his dark eyes glazed and glittered. The feel of Sasuke's raven hair on the back of his neck when Sasuke moved behind him. Sasuke's hands glided over his back smoothly, still surprisingly gentle, his touch cool. He was holding him now, holding him tightly. They moved in a steady rhythm. Back, forward, back, forward. _Don't ever leave me again. _Naruto had thought. In that moment, it felt like he never would._

"Naruto!"

Naruto groaned, shoving his head under his pillow to try and muffle the sharp raps at his door. His head throbbed dully. He wasn't in the mood for this. He'd been sleeping peacefully, he might have even had a pleasant dream…

He bolted upright, shaking his head. No, no, it wasn't pleasant. He flushed uncomfortably and rose out of bed, trudging to the door. The banging continued with annoying calls of "Naruto!" and "Get your ass up!" and finally, "Why am I always your damn alarm clock?!"

Muttering darkly under his breath, Naruto threw open his apartment door. Only to be tackled by an overly cheerful Akamaru. The great white dog dragged his leathery pink tongue along his face while Naruto fought and screeched, though inwardly he was laughing. Kiba roared with delight, holding his stomach. Shikamaru shook his head and grinned.

"That's a way, Akamaru! It's time for Naruto to get out of this funk!" Kiba cheered.

Naruto gently pushed Kiba's loyal companion away from him. The dog went off to investigate a plate of pork ramen that had been left, untouched, on the table. Kiba helped Naruto to his feet while Naruto swiped at his cheeks.

"So, how about some ramen today? Eh? My treat?" Kiba was strangely generous as of late. Not that Naruto was going to do anything about it. _Especially _if it meant free ramen.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "As much as I want?"

Kiba deflated a little, crossing his arms over his chest."Only the first round," he huffed.

Naruto grinned. "I'll be sure to make it a memorable first round." He rubbed his stomach. Kiba groaned, but he laughed all the same.

"Naruto," Shikamaru spoke up. Naruto stilled.

"It's been two weeks, Naruto." Shikamaru said softly. The blond lost his easy smile, his blue eyes gleaming a little dangerously. One look at Shikamaru's expression and Naruto knew what was next.

He'd _done_ his duty to the village. He had protected it. And, in his own way, he had protected Sasuke. What more did they want from him?

Naruto steeled himself for it.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru hated to be the bearer of bad news. It only made his day more troublesome. In this case, convincing a hotheaded Naruto to go to the Hokage Tower for debriefing and questioning was sure to put a dent on a beautifully sunny day.<p>

The day after the battle, Naruto had informed Tsunade of troubling information. Sasuke Uchiha, for some reason, believed he could slip under the village's defenses. Naruto was clear he didn't want to discuss it further. _I would check the defenses, _he'd said on record, _Sasuke seems to think there's a way around it. _

Lo and behold, a weak spot had been discovered on the western border of the village. It had been repaired, but now Tsunade demanded Naruto tell her everything. Why did Sasuke believe this? How had he come to that conclusion? Did it seem like maybe spies were planted in the village? Did Sasuke tell Naruto this outright?

Naruto always said something similar to _I don't know. He just seemed to think so. I don't know._

Shikamaru wasn't entirely sure. However Sasuke may have said it, Naruto had still protected the village by informing Tsunade immediately. But there had to be more. There always was.

"I've been doing my duty," Naruto said stiffly in response to Shikamaru's announcement. Shikamaru sighed. Naruto _had_ been doing the tasks he was assigned throughout the village quite well and without complaint. He was very chivalrous to those who had lost their homes in the fight, making sure no family under his watchful eye was left in the streets. A temporary shelter had been put up for the sake of the homeless families.

Naruto had been forbidden to leave the village under any circumstance, and was restricted to C and D class missions (When hearing this, Naruto had put up quite a fight. Shikamaru still winced at the memory). So he was left to help the genin with the resurrection of the village and tending of its people.

It became Naruto's routine. During the day Naruto worked, was all easy smiles and goodnatured jokes, but once his shift ended, Shikamaru noticed he became subdued and even bleary eyed. It was definitely a concern, and easy to see that his good mood was a facade. He hid under his own forced warmth that made Shikamaru remember days at the Academy as children.

Naruto would leave to his apartment and wouldn't resurface until called forth for duty. It had taken many days to get him to cooperate with Shikamaru and Kiba. Kiba being the most lively. Sakura had refused to help for some reason Shikamaru couldn't quite fathom (some sensitive girl issue, perhaps), and was currently on a mission gathering intel on the enemy with Sai and Kakashi. Even the silver-haired Jounin had attempted to liven up Naruto, and had failed much to his dismay.

"_Don't be too hard on him. There are dark feelings hidden under his easy nature," _Kakashi had warned Shikamaru. Shikamaru was aware of this, but it was time. It was time that Naruto do his duty to his village. They had given him his solitude, and his time to wallow alone.

"Naruto, it's two in the afternoon," Shikamaru observed disapprovingly. Even for someone who enjoyed catnaps and sleeping in, two in the afternoon was pushing it.

"I haven't been called in yet." Naruto said with a stretch and a yawn.

"You've been in bed this whole time?" Shikamaru asked, brows furrowed. Surely this was cause for concern!

"What's it matter to you how long I sleep?" Naruto shot back.

Shikamaru frowned and shared a look with Kiba, who seemed to thinking the same thing. "This ends here," Shikamaru declared, grabbing Naruto by the arm. He was thoroughly annoyed. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Hey, what-?"

"Honestly, Naruto, this is getting a little old."

"It's hard being so nice to you all the freakin' time!" Kiba joked, nudging Naruto in the ribs. Naruto scowled.

"What is it you'll have me do?" He directed his question at Shikamaru, who rubbed his temples in aggravation.

"It's time you come in for questioning. We've given you long enough. It's time you relayed to us what happened that day, and any information you have concerning Sasuke." Shikamaru was blunt. Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"There's nothing to tell," he said. Shikamaru hid his growing frustration.

"Naruto," He began tersely, "Some of us are wondering exactly what transpired that night. We're confused as to why Sasuke escaped. You understand that releasing him while knowing the dangers he poses and the bounty on his head is considered treasonous? The Shinobi Alliance of course heard about it and the Raikage above all others is furious with the Leaf. Our alliance is rocky enough as it without this folly on our heads." He was treading on thin ice. Naruto flushed.

"So now I'm a traitor." Naruto grinned bitterly. Shikamaru cursed and massaged his temples harder.

"No, you're not, but it's definitely questionable. We are doing everything in our power to bring Madara down-"

"And Sasuke too?" Naruto finished for him, grim. He shook his head. "I don't care what the Shinobi Alliance has to say. Sasuke is mine to deal with."

Shikamaru frowned. "Naruto, the Raikage is head of the Shinobi Alliance. After hearing of Sasuke's escape, there are whispers that the Leaf conspired with the Akatsuki, that you did, since Sasuke is originally from our village. The Raikage is suspicious of you. He remembers how you pleaded with him for mercy for Sasuke. These times are too tumultuous to act rashly. It only causes more fear and confusion. Sasuke is the _enemy_. He made himself a world-wide wanted criminal when he attacked the Kage Summit. You must give us any information-"

"Don't have any." Naruto interrupted, already walking back to his bedroom. "I don't think I'm in the mood for ramen, either." He shot a dark look at Kiba and retreated. After a second, he opened the door a crack.

"I would appreciate it if you left now," he said wearily. Kiba sighed, pulling Akamaru away from the cold ramen he was gobbling down. Shikamaru left the apartment building with a headache. Kiba squinted up at the cloudless sky.

"Why is he being such an ass about this? It's really starting to annoy me."

Shikamaru shrugged, thinking hard. "If only he would tell us what happened between them. I know Naruto's loyalty to Sasuke is unwavering but he has to face reality. I just don't understand-" he broke off suddenly, brows furrowed.

Kiba looked at him."I hate it when you do that. No one can read your mind, Shika," he said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Maybe the answer is lot simpler than we think." Shikamaru answered, looking back to the apartment building.

* * *

><p>Naruto growled when there was another sharp rap the door. This time, it wasn't Shikamaru or Kiba. This time, Tsunade had sent the ANBU Black Ops officer with the bird mask who'd been keeping tabs on him since the battle. His teammates were usually dispersed somewhere close by, keeping an ever watchful eye on Naruto, annoyingly enough.<p>

"Lady Tsunade requests your presence." The ANBU officer said briefly. Deciding there was officially no way out of it, Naruto grudgingly followed him out the door. Since their argument, Naruto had been careful to be polite to the Fifth, but it was difficult. She always tried engaging him in conversation or even started acting motherly towards him, which made it increasingly difficult to avoid her without feeling guilty.

Tsunade was scribbling away at something when he entered, and she waved at the guard to close the door. She looked up after a few moments.

"Naruto, you have avoided this long enough." At least she got right to the point instead of pestering him further.

"What do you want me to say? There's really nothing to tell," Naruto answered. He guessed it was true. Nothing, really...except Sasuke had managed to sneak into the village...unnoticed. Was that a big thing?

Tsunade pursed her lips. "We're going to send a small team out, Naruto. Names have already been pulled, the mission approved and assigned. They will track Uchiha and have received their orders. Elimination upon sight. If you could offer any information to help your comrades in the future, even save their lives-" Her words fell upon deaf ears. Naruto felt dizzy, he felt sick. _No, no, not again! _He wanted to scream. His heart was beating fast, incredibly fast. His throat was constricting. He remembered this feeling of rising panic from the last time he'd been informed. He tried to take deep, calming breaths. He veered away to go sit down, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Are you listening? Naruto! Are you alright?" Tsunade was before him, her hands tight on his shoulders.

"Look at me!" she ordered. Naruto ignored her for a minute, before finally finding her gaze.

"With me now," She urged, and breathed deeply. It took a couple tries, but he followed her, and soon he wasn't feeling as faint. His heart was still racing, but not as bad. Tsunade looked genuinely worried.

"What happened?" she asked, and Naruto knew she wasn't referring to his panic attack. He swallowed, squeezing his eyes shut, hands balling into fists. He'd only allowed himself to cry the first morning. The past two weeks had been…numb. He tried his best to forget. Tried not to notice how everyone stared, wondering why Naruto Uzumaki had _failed_ to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to the Leaf. Was he not their great Defender? He knew some people talked, and it wasn't conversation he'd like to eavesdrop on. He'd put himself between a rock and a hard place.

He'd let his village down. He, Naruto, the Conqueror of Pain, as some called him. He, who had defeated the Akatsuki last time and saved the survivors of Konoha, had allowed the Akatsuki to hit hard and hit home again. He had _allowed_ Sasuke Uchiha to escape, and he no one knew why. Better yet, no one even knew what had gone on between the two.

Slowly, he found the words. He told Tsunade about how they were cast in Itachi's genjutsu, about how he'd pulled Susano'o from Sasuke, and about their fight. About how, suddeny, Sasuke had pulled a vanishing act. Naruto stopped talking after that, keeping the rest closely guarded. Part of him felt guilty for it.

A real ninja, he supposed, might just come clean about the tryst. For the village. But he had imformed Tsunade immediately of the weak spot. It would have had to be done, anyway. For the village's security. Naruto wouldn't be the one to withhold that type of information when the lives of other people may have depended on it. Especially if Sasuke had up and left-

It did little to alleviate his stress. He opened his mouth, ready to spit it all out this time and face the backlash, when Tsunade spoke again.

"So Susano'o had influenced him." Tsunade sighed as she sank back into her chair, and Naruto decided to remain silent. "He still returned to Madara, so this changes nothing." She looked at him. Naruto scowled. He had known that.

"I still don't understand how he knew about our defenses, or why he even told you that."

Naruto sighed, running a tanned hand through his tousled blond hair. "I'm not sure either," he mumbled inaudibly. Tsunade's eyes narrowed. For a long while she didn't speak.

"Sometimes," she began falteringly, "The ones we love most are the ones who inflict the deepest wounds. Naruto, if Sasuke was true to his friendship or still felt anything for you, he would have returned with you after the extraction of Susnao'o. Instead, he betrayed you further. Do you understand? He has torn himself from the Leaf. If there is anything you know, don't try to protect him." Tsunade didn't feel any reason to soften it. It was true. Naruto was a very promising young man, full of potential, and she would not see him throw it away for a severed bond. _He is so emotionally invested. If my team successfully kills Sasuke, I'm not sure I want to know how he'll react. It's been hard enough with him lately._

"No one touches him," he said, voice quiet and determined, "But me." he headed toward the door.

Tsunade cursed violently after Naruto slipped out. Tsunade got back to work. She yelled at Shizune for paper work, got an ANBU team leader on the phone, barked out more orders. Called in Shikamaru and Shikaku. Finally, two hours later, she collapsed on her chair. Her honey brown eyes found the masked bird-face of the ANBU guard still waiting by the door.

"Takumi," she said.

The guard stood to attention. "My lady?"

"Why does my job have to be so damned hard?"

* * *

><p>Konohamaru was livid. His small, lithe body was shaking, and his face had paled before turning a ruddy pink. He jammed a finger at the boy in front of him, poking him hard in the chest.<p>

"You take that back!" he yelled, furious. The boy before him bore a grin so wide he looked like a Cheshire cat.

"Face it, Konoharmaru, he's not a hero, he's a pussy!" the boy taunted.

"How can you say that? He _saved_ us, he defeated Pain! You have somewhere to live because of him!"

"Yeah only _after _Pain destroyed the whole village." The boy, Hideo, snickered and turned to look to his friends, who did the same. Konohamaru balled his right hand into a fist, and Hideo squealed when it looked as if Konohamaru might hit him, but a small girl with a round, moon pale face and mousy brown pigtails held Konohamaru back.

"It's not worth it, Kono-_kun_." Moegi said quietly, sticking out her tongue at Hideo.

"Oh that's pretty," Hideo taunted, making a rude gesture. "Hey I liked your hero article, Moegi. It really does Naruto justice!" he snickered. Konohamaru moved to punch him for real this time but Moegi had clamped onto his arm, shouting.

"Konohamaru, don't!"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Konohamaru yelled at Hideo, unsucessfully trying to peel Moegi off of him.

"_My _papa's a jounin, and he says that when Naruto went to fight the Uchiha, he decided he loved him more than the village and he let him go. So now Uchiha will be back to kill us, and it's all your _hero's _fault!" Hideo ran away after that, laughing, while Konohamaru finally freed himself from Moegi and kicked violently at a can littering the street.

Konohamaru wouldn't believe it. Naruto would never, _ever, _betray them like that! He sniffed, wiping his nose on his arm, when he caught a glimpse of orange and black.

The boy bounded forward, intent on settling the rumors.

* * *

><p>Naruto was walking through the streets, lost in his thoughts, when he noticed a band of children playing in front of a shop.<p>

"Let's play good guys, bad guys!" one boy yelled, enthusiastic. He had a wide grin and spiky brown hair.

"Alright, but I don't want to be Sasuke this time," a little girl pouted. She had coal black hair and pale skin. Winning combo. The boy grinned.

"But you're the best Sasuke!" He pointed at her black pigtails. The girl flushed and silently agreed.

"I want to be a good guy! I get to be Naruto!" another little boy cried, and the others jeered at him.

"_I _wouldn't want to be Naruto. Do you know what my papa says about him? He says that he loves Sasuke more than the village, so now Uchiha will be back to kill us all, and it's all his fault!" The little boy hopped up and down as he said this, like he was doing a potty dance. An old woman passing by smacked him over the head with a newspaper.

"Watch your mouth! Ungrateful little urchin!" She pointed in Naruto's direction. The boy at least had the decency to look abashed. He blushed scarlet and ran away with his ragtag group down the street.

This scene took Naruto completely by surprise. He noticed, uncomfortably, that some people were staring. Some looked disappointed, others looked shook their heads. A few offered timid smiles that he liked to think were meant to be reassuring. Not too long ago, they had practically worshiped him. He was the hero of their village. Now, they seemed unsure of him. Bowing his head, he turned right down an alley, hoping to escape their stares.

He ran into Konohamaru, who looked about ready to either burst into tears or break something. The pre-teen looked up at his idol. Naruto smiled.

"Hey Konohamaru! Have you been practicing the rasengan? I'm always here to help you should you need it," Naruto added in that big brother way of his. Konohamaru turned red, looking down like he was embarrassed.

"Naruto?" he mumbled in a tiny voice. The smile faded from Naruto's face, and he felt his heart sink. _Not you too, _he thought.

"Is…is it true about Sasuke? Did you really let him go? I thought…I told everyone you'd never do that! That you'd never pick such an awful person over your village." His voice shook, and Naruto realized, with mounting anger and sadness, that Konohamaru wanted nothing more than to be reassured, because he too was beginning to doubt after hearing slander. Naruto knelt down before him.

"Konohamaru," he began, "There will come a time in every ninja's life when he's forced to make a horrible decision. Sometimes these choices involve people you really love or care about. Sometimes, the choices you make don't go the way you originally planned when you take action, and you have to live with how that mission turned out, and your decision. I'm not saying I chose Sasuke over the village, but I am saying that I am living with what happened. As a ninja, I can promise you I will never forsake my village, and I will always fight for my people. I will always protect you." He stood up, looking at Konohamaru, wondering what the youth might say to such a vague answer.

"I still don't understand what happened," he complained. "Did you let him go or not!" When Naruto frowned and didn't immediately answer, Konohamaru cursed and fled, squeezing his eyes shut to hide tears of anger and confusion. Moegi gave Naruto an analytical look before running after her teammate, as if she couldn't decide whether what he had said was admirable or cowardly.

Feeling worse than ever, Naruto trudged back to his apartment, hoping he wouldn't be called for duty today. He felt lower than shit. Konohamaru was upset with him. He'd let down his "little brother", and countless others. He didn't see their talk as injustice. He knew their whispers were justified.

He shouldn't have allowed Sasuke to worm his way into where he didn't belong. Naruto should have immediately engaged him. Instead, his emotions had gotten the better of him. Something that a ninja was never supposed to succumb to.

And so the villagers whispered.

Just where had he been when the battle went from bad to worse? Why hadn't he helped more in protecting the village? Where was _Naruto _when so and so's husband was killed in action? Where was the mighty Conqueror of Pain when this one's house burned to ash? How could he have let Sasuke escape to wreak more havoc and take more innocent lives? These were the questions Naruto had to face and own up to, these were the scornful looks he had to endure. He held his head up high.

He was still a ninja of the Leaf, and he'd die to protect those he loved, whether they liked to believe it or not.

* * *

><p>Sasuke dipped into the pool by the waterfall, holding his breath as he went under. The water was cold and crisp; it cleared his head and rushed through his ears. It was disgruntling, waking up that is. Sasuke dreamed of <em>him<em> every night without fail. The cornflower blue eyes were always watching him, and Naruto's voice never failed to call out to him.

"_Sasuke…"_

He dreamed about the feel of Naruto's skin underneath his, about the sound of his voice and the sexy way he moaned and arched his back whenever Sasuke hit a sweet spot. He dreamed about their spars, about them laughing, arguing, and kissing.

It was driving him insane. Sasuke wasn't sure if he could take it anymore. The cold water helped alleviate him of another problem as well. He rarely had to deal with sexual tension, and the erections were pissing him off. Some men might have joked by saying waking up without a woody every morning was just plain unnatural. For Sasuke, it had been (mostly) normal, until now. Thankfully, he was an early riser and rarely saw anyone on his daily early morning walks to the pool. Suigetsu, on the other hand gave him utter hell when he walked by him by first light that morning.

"If only we still had Karin with us!" he had cackled. Too proud to be embarrassed, Sasuke only sneered and flipped Suigetsu off.

It was more than physical, though. It had only been two weeks, but Sasuke was jarred to the core. He found himself wondering, always wondering, what had happened to Naruto when he'd woken up alone. The thought made him wince. If he knew Naruto like he thought he did, the blond was sure to be spitting fire and drowning in his own tears. He'd always known Naruto to be a very emotional person. Sometimes, Sasuke wondered what would have happened if he had left with Naruto. It couldn't have been so, however. Sasuke had decided, the moment Naruto had accepted his touch, that Madara would have to die. Sasuke was the only one who could accomplish this. It wasn't arrogance, it was the truth.

Worse, the morning he'd returned empty handed, a new course of action had unfolded within the Akatsuki's ranks. A sinister plan that had been planted into Madara's power-hungry brain, and a new guest, who's every moment alive made Sasuke's bloodlust tremble.

_The dawn chilled his skin, made him shiver and grit his teeth, but he liked the nip of the wind, forcing him to look ahead, to stay awake. To remember why he kept walking instead of pausing to turn around._

_He hadn't allowed himself to look back, to wonder, once. _

_The camp was in sight, a little tangle of tents that looked orange in the early morning light, the rough side of cliff face that fed the white spray of a waterfall into a pool, and the gaping mouth of a cave that led into a labyrinth of mysteries and other horrors. It was an old, gutted out site once used by Orochimaru and long abandoned, before Madara had decided he liked the real estate._

_Ahead, a fire coughed to life as Kisame, the shark man, tried to roast some fish for breakfast. Sasuke could now hear murmurs, whispers, quiet insults. He didn't pause to look at the team, not even to scowl._

_Kisame laughed as he approached._

_"Uchiha," he called, "where's that fox, eh?" The others around him watched with steely gazes, hungry for Sasuke's failure. Madara's golden boy, taken down a notch. What a sight!_

_Sasuke didn't answer, only clenched his jaw. Allowed a thought to wriggle into his mind. Naruto, asleep on that stupidly messy bed. Naruto, eyes cooling from red to blue, a gaze that said _you better not leave after this, Uchiha. _But he had._

_"Maybe he was a little too tricky for our Sasuke!" Someone cackled, and Kisame laughed, disgusting as he ate his fish nearly raw, bits of flesh spraying on his lips._

_"Slipped right through his capable hands. Maybe it's time someone really got the job done, eh, Sasuke? Play time's over."_

_Sasuke turned, smiling tightly. "A little early in the morning for you to be taking me on, isn't it, Kisame? Although, I guess you almost brought Madara the eight-tails. Should I give you a gold star for all your hard work?" He was egging the nin on, and he knew it, but he liked the look of rage that began to spasm across Kisame's flat blue face, the way his skin turned a blotchy purple. Sasuke's blood began to rush. This was exactly what he needed right now. Kisame hefted his sword onto his broad shoulder and stood like a brawler._

_"Heh, you better watch that tongue brat, before Samehada rips it out to eat."_

_Sasuke grinned, reaching for Kusangi, but before he could savor the taste of a good fight, another sword met Samehada as the shark nin swung his blade._

_Suigetsu's violet eyes were dancing, and he whistled. "I'd chill a bit. Bit too early to get all bloody."_

_Kisame eyed him dangerously. "Out of the way, runt. That toothpick ain't got shit."_

_"Is that right?" Suigetsu smirked, and Sasuke shook his head at his teammate's boldness, irritated at the interruption. Suigetsu heaved his strength against Kisame's twirling away expertly and landing another blow, which Kisame blocked. Sasuke hooked his hands behind his hand and watched with interest._

_"I'd beg to differ. How's about it, Kisame? If I win, you cough over that sword." Suigetsu looked at Samehada hungrily._

_Kisame pulled away from Suigetsu and laughed haughtily. "I'd paint the grass red with you before you had a hope, runt. Better run along before I make it happen."_

_Suigetsu made a show of looking terrified. "Well now you did it! I'm fucking terrified." He looked to Sasuke, who shook his head again, but grinned. It was worth it to see Kisame about ready to blow a fuse._

_"Tell you what, Kisame, anytime you feel like whippin' it out," Suigetsu nodded to Samehada, "you gimme a call." He winked roguishly, much to the delight of the onlookers, who shrieked with laughter. Kisame growled, pointing at Suigetsu with Samehada's handle._

_"You let your friends fight your battles, Uchiha?" _

_Sasuke made to grab Kusangi once more, but Suigetsu grabbed him by the elbow. Sasuke shook him off, glowering._

_"The hell are you-"_

_"His facelessness," Suigetsu began cheerfully, meaning Madara, and Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Would like to have a word with you. So, like I said earlier," he paused to look at Kisame, who grudgingly put his sword aside. "It's time to chill. Another time."_

_"One of these days," Sasuke muttered as they left toward the caves, "Madara is going to hear you call him faceless, and then _you _won't have a face."_

_Suigetsu snorted. "Aw come on," he whined. "It's funny." There was a beat of silence before Suigetsu added, "so what happened back there? Boss is furious with you, you know. Better hope _you _still have a face at the end of the day."_

_Sasuke grimaced, and images of Naruto burned his thoughts unbidden. He shook them away. "Nothing," he bit out. "It just...didn't go as planned." He felt that need again. The need to look over his shoulder, as if he could look back, for only a second, and have a moment to regret how he left. But he culled the thought. He had no regrets, couldn't have any. Not now. It was time to follow through with his actions._

_Suigetsu didn't comment on that, and before long, the two had wound their way through the dark tunnels, which Sasuke hated because they smelled like mold and something damp. Their footsteps echoed through the labyrinth, ringing with with the wet drips of stalactites. Finally, they came to a chamber, where Suigetsu left him with an almost apologetic glance._

_"Sasuke. How lovely of you to finally join us." Madara's voice seemed to fill the room the moment Sasuke stepped inside. There had been chatter, quiet and intense, that had ceased the moment he'd appeared. Madara was sitting, poised and almost regal, in the center of the room. Like a king._

_Sasuke sneered._

_"It appears," Madara continued, and Sasuke noticed the squirming delight of a little nin by Madara's side. An ass-kisser Sasuke couldn't remember the name of, but was sure was delighted to see Sasuke finally do something worth being punished over, instead of being fawned over by their leader._

_"That you have returned to me empty handed." His voice was eerily calm. So steady. Like a parent trying to understand the wrongdoings of a small child. _

_Sasuke glared. "It wasn't the right time," he answered. Madara's red eye gleamed with curiosity._

_"Not the right _time?_" Madara repeated, more curious than ever. "Then tell me, Sasuke. When is the right time? Tomorrow? Next week? Maybe I have misjudged you, and your ability to handle this situation." The little nin beside Madara fidgeted, grinning ear to ear._

_Sasuke's nostrils flared as his temper bit at its reigns. He didn't need anyone else taking over the Kyuubi retrieval. He opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted. Again. He made an exasperated noise in the back of his throat as one of Madara's newest little cronies announced the presence of a guest._

_"My Lord," the rogue nin began, and Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at the honorific and hid a scoff. My _Lord_? _

_"A most interesting guest has arrived to see you. He claims to hold to the key to something very dear to you in exchange-"_

_"Yes, yes." Madara quipped. "Bring him in." He didn't ask Sasuke to leave, and Sasuke's curiosity overrode his anger. But that didn't last long. He looked over his shoulder._

_A hooded figure strode into the room, escorted by a couple rogues. For a long moment, he didn't raise his head, but Sasuke already knew. _Knew _what face hid behind the blood red hood, and he already despised it._

_"Kabuto," he greeted through clenched teeth, and the medic nin raised his face to Sasuke with a small grin._

_"Sasuke," Kabuto returned, "you're looking...well." His grin broadened, and Sasuke once again found his fingers itching towards Kusangi's hilt. Madara chuckled softly._

_"Let's play nice, Sasuke. How rude to welcome one of our most anticipated guests of the year in such a way." There was a light lilt to his voice, and Sasuke couldn't tell if fatal sarcasm, or worse, laced it._

_Kabuto expressed his gratitude with a bow and a backwards glance at Sasuke, who seethed. "My Lord. My sincerest thanks for agreeing to see me on such short notice. But, I believe I may be of great use to you."_

_Madara hummed thoughtfully. "Leave us," he ordered those who had gathered, and they left promptly. Sasuke grudgingly turned to leave, but Madara stopped him._

_"Not you," he insisted, and Sasuke stayed rooted, walking over to Madara's side when he beckoned him with a curled finger._

_"I trust you might be a good judge of his character," Madara said quietly. Sasuke watched Kabuto carefully. For a beat or two, Kabuto seemed to gather his thoughts, as if he relieved, beyond relieved, to have finally made it to this point. Like he'd crossed a finish line and was just pausing to bask in it._

_"Well, Kabuto Yakushi, you should carry on before I lose my patience. There is a victory waiting for me. And I cannot stand here and watch you while it is within my grasp."_

_Kabuto took the hint._

_"My Lord, I am aware you have come across data from mine and Orochimaru's latest experiments performed before his death. I understand you have tried to recruit them, but found it...difficult."_

_Madara grunted at this, and Sasuke knew it irritated him, this small defeat. It was true. Madara had been curious, eager for more soldiers, and so Sasuke had disclosed Orochimaru's lab locations. The people inside, however, had not been what the nin were expecting, and found, much to their horror and disgust, that not much humanity had been left in those caged, pitiful creatures. Madara had slaughtered all who fought, while the rest he was hoping to condition into soldiers. So far, he had not been successful._

_"However, I can assure you they can be harnessed, and made into exceptional soldiers. I have the data, the mind to do so. I can create for you an army that will never tire. An army who's loyalty will never waver. Give me amnesty behind your walls, and I will build this army for you. An unstoppable force. Something fearsome to behold. An army fit for a man such as yourself."_

_Madara seemed to mull this over, and Sasuke barely hid his disgust behind a curled lip. He suppressed a shiver. He could do without ever seeing the remnants of Orochimaru's work._

_"An interesting proposition. And a dangerous one. Did Orochimaru teach you nothing, Kabuto? Hadn't he fucked you over enough to teach you not to tread lightly with powerful men?" He chuckled darkly. If Kabuto was offended, he did not show it._

_"Oh, I understand completely, my Lord. You could just as easily welcome me into your walls, take what you need from me, and kill me easily. Then what would have been the point of me traveling so far for this chance? No. I want to live, and you can help me live, and I can help you _win." _He grinned again, that slimy sort of grin that Sasuke hated. Kabuto had secrets. Terrible secrets. Secrets rare as gold and just as expensive._

_"It was due to Orochimaru that the Sanbi has died. If I am correct, you are struggling to overcome this unfortunate turn of events. This...weakness." He paused, and Sasuke noticed Madara tense beside him._

_"Go on," the masked nin urged._

_"Orochimaru had the boy and the demon killed after it had divulged its secrets." He went on to spin a tale so extravagant, so strange, that Sasuke couldn't help but listen. His eyes narrowed and he resisted the urge to scoff in Madara's presence. However, Madara was leaning forward in his seat, eye fixed solely on Kabuto. And it gleamed. It glowed with a malicious light Sasuke knew all too well. Unease coursed through him._

_"How curious," Madara said at last. Kabuto pushed up his glasses. Sasuke sneered._

_"You cannot be thinking of considering what he's said. He's proved himself to be a traitor more than once-" he began, but Kabuto raised his hands as if in surrender. _

_Madara nodded sagely. __"Our young Sasuke has given an excellent point."_

_Kabuto frowned. "Well then, everything I've just said would just be ridiculous. The rantings of a mad scientist. Do you think I would truly risk my life to spin such an incredible lie if it could not be done? What would I gain? A few more weeks of life? You have no imagination, Sasuke. Think of it, my Lord, the Sanbi might be gone, but the chakra of a Tailed Beast, the power of it, what you need, can still be salvaged from the one that still lives. Capture Naruto first. Make the deal. You could split it, right in two, and you would have it all. Everything. I can make that happen. Perhaps even a new, powerful vessel. After all, Uzumaki blood is known for its strength."_

_"He's mental-" Sasuke hissed, nearly white with anger, but Madara shushed him._

_"Shut your mouth, you insolent brat." His eye shone brightly, and Sasuke felt himself seize painfully, like an invisible coil had slipped over his body, squeezing tight to the the point of pain. An illusion. He gritted his teeth, forced back his retaliation. It wasn't worth it. But he broke free anyway, gasping, eyes spinning, much to Madara's amusement._

_"Respect your Elders. Do not interrupt." He turned back to Kabuto. "There is truth in what he says. It's an old legend. Something dark that has been forgotten over the ages, but it amounted to nothing but a fable. And even then, I did not know the extent of it until now." He rose spryly, like a youth about to embark on a quest. Sasuke's unease began to bubble over his skin. He eyed Kabuto dangerously.  
><em>

_"Very well, Mr. Yakushi. You've made yourself a deal. Give me this army, give me this child, and I'll see you well taken care of." _

_"I can have some created and done by the next full moon. During it is the best time for an attack," he advised. Madara nodded._

_"An excellent suggestion," he agreed, turning to Sasuke._

_"You have four weeks, Sasuke. And I will _not _be disappointed again." With a wave of Madara's hand, Sasuke was dismissed. He walked away stiffly, knocking shoulders with Kabuto on his way out. A threat. A promise. All the while Madara watched curiously, and Sasuke played with his anger._

Ever since, Sasuke was careful to keep acting the part of the ruthless bloodthirsty avenger, for worry that Madara would notice something was off about him. He would notice sooner or later, but Sasuke was praying for later. He hadn't noticed yet because Sasuke hadn't needed to fight. Madara was saving him for the full moon, for the retrieval attempt. Sasuke still needed a plan.

Gathering intel on Madara proved to be more troublesome than he had anticipated. He really didn't know anything about the masked Uchiha. It would have been easy if there was an expert on space-time jutsus hovering around, but Sasuke didn't have the luxury. He was smart, he could figure it out.

Sasuke believed that Madara was in a constant state of space-time jutsu. It would explain why even direct hits, no matter the place or moment, went right through him. Sasuke remembered the moment when Madara had been victim to the black flames, Amaterasu. Of course, Madara had survived it.

Perhaps Izanagi? The jutsu where one could seemingly reverse time, as if all injuries or potentially deadly encounters had been nothing but a dream. No, that wasn't it. The amount of Sharingan power needed to sustain it for mere minutes was vast. He remembered that Danzo, the former sixth Hokage, had needed an entire arm covered in Sharingans to produce Izanagi for no more than five minutes…

The thought angered him.

But Madara was no ordinary man. Still…a space-time jutsu was the obvious choice, but which one would allow its user to be constantly hurtling and disappearing through time and seemingly not age? Somehow, Madara had avoided death itself because of this technique. It had to be something unique to the Sharingan, a jutsu no other ninja could hope to duplicate. Could it be possible Madara had cast an illusion on _himself_? Sasuke frowned.

So much to think about, to dwell on. He wasn't sure what would make him crack first, the thoughts of Naruto or the frustration of figuring out Madara.

"Good morning, Sasuke."

He whipped around, scowling. Kabuto stood by the pool, free of his blood red cloak and donning his normal, simple attire. The weak morning rays reflected off his round glasses and he smirked.

"You seem…occupied," Kabuto observed lightly. "Funny, from what I had heard about you recently, I was expecting a more savage version of you. You seem unchanged."

Sasuke frowned. The last thing he needed was Kabuto sensing something. In a heartbeat he was standing before Kabuto, sword to his throat. "I wouldn't make assumptions."

Kabuto seemed unfazed. He smirked again, that irritating half-smile. "So you failed to bring Madara the Kyuubi. It must have been quite the fight for you to have come back empty handed. Or maybe Naruto conveniently slipped through your fingers."

Seething, Sasuke flicked the point of his blade just enough so that a bubble of ruby red appeared on the surface of Kabuto's white skin. For a split second, doubt seemed to cloud the medic nin's features, but it quickly dissolved.

"I wouldn't make an enemy out of me, Sasuke. You might find me to be of good use one day. I won't forget that you laid my experiments bare to Madara," Kabuto warned.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the hidden threat. "All this trouble for those unlucky cursed ones?"

"They're _more_ than cursed. Maybe one day you will understand. I need the protection of the Akatsuki to continue my work, and quite frankly I believe Madara will be pleased with the work I present to him. Not to mention the fact that I have given him a way to complete his plan." Kabuto paused, searching Sasuke's face.

"Won't it be a sight? Naruto chained and helpless to our advances while we tap into the secrets of the demon inside him. Seeing him unnaturally birth the unluckiest bastard to ever grace the Earth…I'm sure his pain and suffering will just make you _ecstatic _since you seem to hate him so much_._"

Sasuke kept his face impassive, but inwardly he was raging. "What do you want?"

Kabuto grinned slyly. "Give me the information I seek and maybe I'll see to it that Madara has _you_ fuck Naruto."

That was too much, Sasuke felt something inside him snap. Without warning he lashed out, the blade in his hand electrified. Kabuto was ready, whirling and leaping out of the way. He flipped, landing nimbly on the still surface of the pool. The minute he did blood oozed from a gash on his cheek.

"You let anger control your sword. That has always been your mistake. Move with a little more calculated grace instead of pure rage and maybe you might have slashed my throat."

By now some members of the Akatsuki were waking. Suigetsu was watching curiously from afar, and Kisame was ambling forth, cursing. "We need him alive, brat!" The shark man barked. Sasuke scowled darkly at him.

"Then make sure he doesn't cross me." he snarled. Sasuke was trembling with rage, lightning still licking the deadly length of his blade. Kabuto glided past, escorted by Kisame.

Kabuto paused to whisper, "I won't tell Madara if you won't."

Sasuke was left standing by the pool, following Kabuto's retreating back with blood red eyes. A different war had just been waged. A new deadly game of cat and mouse. So the medic nin believed he had figured out Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke smriked. He'd see about that.


	6. Longing, and Bitter Alliances

_Chapter 6: Longing _and _Bitter Alliances_

Head in his hands, Naruto tried not to scream. Instead, he marched his bedroom. Unfortunately, he had already thrown the alarm clock. There was nothing left he wanted to break. With a sigh, he fell on his bed, sprawled out spread-eagle.

The day had been a complete disaster, starting with Shikamaru demanding he to go in for questioning and ending with him realizing that even the little children were calling him "coward" or "Uchiha lover". He supposed a village dealt with war in different ways. The children liked to pretend they were fighting the evil their mothers and fathers fought against. That evil included Sasuke. Naruto shook his head, collapsing on his bed. It was past time he accepted it…

Sasuke had returned to Madara despite Susano'o's extraction, despite Naruto's words, and above all, despite the fact Naruto had given himself to Sasuke. He was angry with himself. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forget that evening…

It hurt him to think about it, and it infuriated him beyond all words. How could he have been such an idiot? He should have knocked Sasuke out and dragged him to the Hokage Tower by his stupid, spiky hair. Yeah, he should have knocked him out and carried him back…

If he had done that, he wouldn't be in this situation. He dreaded anyone finding out the truth. Not because of what they might say or think, but because he didn't want to relive it. It hurt in ways he didn't think he could hurt. And to think he thought he had experienced heartbreak with Sakura!

It was the pain of being abandoned. Of being loved then thrown away. For Naruto, after a childhood filled with rejection and loneliness, this kind of betrayal hit home. How many nights had he lain awake at night, wondering what Sasuke was doing that very moment? He had lost count.

Did Sasuke ever think about it? Was he wondering what Naruto was doing? Could he care less?

Sasuke had been his rival, his best friend, his goal, his closest bond, and now a one-time lover. Maybe it was only natural to want to feel so close to someone so important, but he had never tried to face these feelings for Sasuke before. He had always known his feelings were intense, maybe a little too much, but he hadn't confronted it before. Maybe he had always known it, ever since he was thirteen and watching Sasuke closely, feeling his heart flutter or his face turn an embarrassingly blotchy shade of red when Sasuke talked or taunted him. Back then, he'd convinced himself it was because Sasuke was such a prickly little bastard, that just being _close _to him made Naruto angry and too flustered to think.

He smiled a little at the memory, at the absurdity of it. But it was short lived.

This felt worse than when Sakura had pretended they hadn't had sex. Worse than her false confession. That had made him angry, that had made him hurt. This? This made him feel numb when he thought about it, which was strangely worse than feeling something.

Groaning, Naruto made himself get up and head for the refrigerator, only to discover that he needed to be go shopping-badly. A lone bottle of mustard, a jar of pickles with only one spear left floating in the acid green juice, and a moldy looking peach was all the fridge held. Naruto grimaced and slammed the door shut. He would have to go out.

He donned khaki cargo pants, some sandy brown flip flops, and an orange shirt, grumbling all the while. It was late afternoon, the autumn heat was sweltering, and the only wind that blew gusted hot air. Naruto wished he had stayed in his air conditioned apartment. He fingered the bills in his wallet and trudged on.

"Oi, Naruto!"

Silently cursing, Naruto turned to smile broadly at Kiba, Sai, Ino, Hinata, TenTen, Shino, Neji, Chouji, Shikamaru, and to his dismay, Sakura. It was just his luck to bump into the whole fucking gang.

Sakura stiffened when she saw him, emerald eyes wide. She made a show of tucking her short pink pixie cut behind her ears and started babbling to Ino, but the act only made her stick out even more because Ino was too busy trying to flirt with an unresponsive Sai. Naruto ignored this and strode over.

Kiba grinned wolfishly. "So you finally crawled out of your hole! Does the sunlight burn? We thought, you know, being so depressed over Sasuke and all, that you weren't going to show your face today."

Naruto snorted. "What, and give the ladies something to cry over? Nah, I got bored, plus I'm hungry," he added with a grin. The group groaned.

"I'm not paying for you," Shikamaru insisted, casting a dark look at Chouji. Everyone knew he wouldn't dare admit this was because the Akimichi clansmen had tagged along and could easily eat the restaurant out of business. Naruto shrugged. He was about to say he had some cash to burn when he noticed the scrutinizing look Neji was giving him. The Hyuuga was frowning, brow furrowed. Naruto pretended not to notice.

"Maybe I'll catch up with you guys later," Naruto said instead, noticing the look of relief on Sakura's face. He had to admit, he wasn't excited about spending an hour or two next to her either at the moment, but she could at least say hi to him. They were still friends and teammates, after all. He hadn't even realized she had returned from her mission with Kakashi and Sai.

To everyone's surprise, Sai spoke up before Naruto could turn away. "Naruto, even I am aware that this is unhealthy behavior. I understand how much Sasuke meant to you, but we are all still here, as your true friends, to support you." Coming from Sai, words like these were a shock, and Naruto only stared. He hadn't expected such a sweet reply from Sai. It almost unnerved him. He blinked.

"Oh, er...Well, thanks, Sai." In the end, Naruto gave in to the pressure to join them for dinner. He carefully avoided sitting next to Sakura, but that only got him sitting across from Neji's analytical stare.

The Hyuuga hadn't said much. He had commented shortly on the mission Sakura had been on, talked with Hinata about her day, and conversed quietly with TenTen about her newest addition of weapons. Other than that, he merely listened, his opaque lavender eyes drifting over to Naruto every now and then. By the end of the first half hour, Naruto was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the attention. He laughed easily with the others, talked, and joked, ignoring Neji's gaze. No one else, however, seemed to notice.

Did Neji have some sort of new grudge against him? Naruto hadn't known Neji to be so opinionated about Sasuke. To take some of the heat off, Naruto suddenly directed a question at him.

"Hey, Neji, did you hear about the special team that's been sent out?" There was a sudden silence. Apparently, everyone had been carefully avoiding this topic out of respect for Naruto's feelings. The food arrived, and the buxom waitress winked at Naruto as she set down the food.

Neat lines and grooves appeared above Neji's brow as his furrowed his eyebrows further. "Yes, of course, I am part of the team. Lady Tsunade finds the Byakugan to be most useful in such situations."

Naruto nodded, shoving some barbequed pork in his mouth. He tried to smile through a mouthful. "I figured as much. So, will anyone else be gone? I just wanted to know who's gonna stick around, since I'm gonna be stuck here and all." He lifted his gaze.

Shikamaru nodded warily. "I will be."

Naruto nodded. Of course Shikamaru and Neji would be sent. Shikamaru was a rare, one in a thousand genius and Neji's Byakugan was useful. The point of the question was to see how Neji responded to him about the subject, but Naruto had not detected a hint of malice. Irritated, he quickly changed the subject. Soon, the whole table was laughing again, and even Sakura met Naruto's gaze and smiled.

By the time the bill arrived, Shikamaru winced and Chouji insisted that since barbeque had been Shikamaru's idea, that he should cover half of Chouji's portion. They bickered for a while, but in the end, Shikamaru gave in. Naruto handed some money to Shikamaru and thanked everyone for a good time.

"Wait," Kiba grabbed onto Naruto's sleeve. "We're gonna go drink a few beers and get a bonfire going. It's probably the only night we're all going to be together before something big happens again."

Naruto grimaced, but hid quickly behind a bright smile. "Sure!" He trailed after the group, a few paces behind..

* * *

><p>Naruto stared at the froth coating the surface of his beer. The smell was unappealing. The whole scene was unappealing. Kiba was teasing him about it.<p>

"Come on, your body breaks it down so fast it takes forever for you to get buzzed. One drink isn't gonna kill ya."

Naruto shook his head, suddenly tired. "I'm gonna go crash," he said quietly. He said his goodbyes, but before he could leave, Neji spoke to him.

"Are you feeling well?" he asked suddenly. Naruto blinked.

"Fine. Why?" he wondered, suspicious.

Neji shrugged. "There's a disturbance in your chakra balance. It's odd, I've never seen that with you. It's as if it's not correctly proportioned." He frowned, sipping his beer and grimacing. Naruto shrugged, thoughtful.

"If you're feeling weak, perhaps you should pay a visit to Tsunade," Neji advised. "With the Akatsuki after you, and the Kyuubi sometimes unpredictable, it's best to look into these things."

"I'm not feeling weak," Naruto said, irritated.

Neji shrugged again. "Fine then. I'm just telling you what I saw."

Shaking his head, Naruto left. He stopped by an open grocery store and picked up a few things before continuing his journey back to the apartment building. It was finally cooling down, and the dying light cast long shadows that played along the ground. Ever graceful, Naruto stumbled on a jagged rock shooting up out of the dirt road. The milk tumbled out of his bag and rolled. Cursing the pain in his toe, he bent to pick it up, but not before realizing where he was.

It was site of the old Uchiha compound. He stared, shivering suddenly, and walked towards it. When the ghetto had still been standing, before Pain's attack, children only entered it on a dare. They teased each other, saying its alleys were haunted with the screams of those Itachi had ruthlessly slaughtered. Now a small garden, complete with a white marble memorial at is center,had been erected in honor of the dead clan. Not offering the dead clan something would have been considered callous, since it was such huge part in recent history. Naruto ventured towards it, squinting at the white marble memorial.

The names of all the deceased were listed in neat characters. Judging by the lack of flowers and gifts at its base, the memorial hadn't been visited for a while. A sadness enveloped him. A small ginkgo tree stood a little off to the right of it, and Naruto realized there were names carved into the wood. Curious, he bent towards it to get a better look.

There were random names. Names of friends, lovers, names of those who had died during Pain's attack. Some of the lovers' names, he realized, were Uchiha names. Perhaps some villagers who had been involved with an Uchiha clansmen had carved their initials together into the tree. Some had drawn hearts around the names, others had slashed the names at the bottom making a small border. There was a hollow in the tree, and nestled inside, was a kunai. Naruto held it in his hands, looking at the bark.

Feeling stupid, angry, humiliated, sad, and most of all, aching for his former best friend, he carefully carved his and Sasuke's initials into the tree. He stared at the simple characters for a while, and almost laughed at himself. What was he going to do now, draw some sappy heart around it?

The tears came unbidden as he stared at the initials. He bit his lip, hard enough to taste a coppery tang, and in his mounting frustration, slashed at their initials until they weren't readable. He was quietly sobbing by then. Kunai still in his hand, he sat down on the memorial, resting his forehead against his knees.

"Fucking bastard," he sniffed. Naruto quickly swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand and stood, thrusting the kunai back in its hollow.

"Next time," Naruto promised, his voice low, "I won't let you go."

Not to mention that next time, the Uchiha will probably be in for an ass-kicking of a lifetime.

* * *

><p>The sudden appearance of Takumi startled Tsunade. She was slumped over paperwork, eyelids heavy. She had had the immense pleasure of speaking to the Elders about battle tactics and she was hoarse from all the yelling she'd done in the end.<p>

The old bags! At least they were happy with Naruto safe in the village. Although Tsunade couldn't say she was happy about it, but given how Naruto had acted, maybe it was for the best. Just for now, she promised herself. She wouldn't do this to him much longer. Just enough to drive her point home.

She flinched, startled, when the ivory bird mask appeared before her. She cursed, standing. "Has something happened?"

"My lady, I've only come to report," Takumi said apologetically.

Sighing, Tsunade slid back into her chair. It was a normal report concerning Naruto. Nothing strange had happened.

"If I may?" Takumi began, a little uncertainly. Tsuande raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" She asked wearily.

"While I agree that Naruto needs to understand Sasuke's enemy status, I highly doubt, after trailing him, that he will ever look upon the young Uchiha the way you wish him to. Not by force like this. He is young, and quite passionate."

This talk was taking Tsunade by surprise. It was not often Takumi took an interest in his charges, or thought it was important enough to offer Tsunade herself advice on how to handle the youth. She stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I understand you are giving him time to think about the dangers the Uchiha poses, and he could have handled his situation differently and more professionally. But I fear keeping him in the village and forbidding him to fight the Uchiha will only do harm."

Tsunade frowned. "I want him to realize what he should have done differently. There are too many dangers out there for him to act so rashly and do what he wants. It can come off as selfish instead of passionate," Tsunade insisted.

Takumi shook his head. "My llady, forgive me, but he is no longer a young child you can punish with a time out. There is something about him that makes me feel as though he is hiding something about their encounter-"

Tsunade rose, fearing the worst and jumping to conclusions in her mind. "How are you certain? What have you discovered?"

Takumi chuckled at her question, it was a weary sound. "I am a father of four, my lady. My two oldest are eighteen and twenty, I know what it looks like when passion scars a young heart."

Tsunade's brow wrinkled as she gave this thought. It was the not the type of answer she had expected.

* * *

><p>Sasuke grimaced against the howls, screeches, growls, and pitiful whines. Madara had transported all of Orochimaru's and Kabuto's combined works into dungeon-like cells in the deepest part of the caves.<p>

Some looked human, but their eyes conveyed otherwise. Some were grotesque forms of man and beast, unable to free themselves from their curse mark form. Sasuke thought of Juugo, the otherwise quiet and gentle young man he had originally recruited for his team before joining Madara. When Sasuke saw these people, he thought of Juugo, and his dangerous split personality.

"Water," a man with paper-thin skin and eyes with yellowed whites whined. "Water!" He reached out for Madara's sleeve, but Madara was faster. The man fell away with an inhuman shriek and scuttled along the stone floor, his eyes burning a fierce orange color.

"Just as you left them," Madara said, looking to his side where Kabuto stood.

The silver-haired medic nin only stared at the experiments. "You should weed out the strong from the weak," he suggested. "When the full moon arrives, only the strongest will reach their potential. It's still easy to differentiate them at this state and predict who will be of more use, and who won't. The weak are likely to escape, some may even try and seek solace within the walls of the Leaf and sell out what little they know about you. They have been prisoners after all. It's crucial to find out whose mind is the weakest, the most human. Those aren't the ones you want swarming the Leaf," he advised with a smile.

Madara considered this."Very well," he agreed. "Sasuke!" He looked for Sasuke's sihouette. Sasuke stiffened, fixing the man with a burning glare.

"Weed them out," Madara ordered. Sasuke glowered at him.

"Do whatever you must to enrage them. Inflict Susano'o on them for all I care. See which ones are useful. Kill the rest." Madara left Sasuke with Kabuto then, disregarding a young woman's scream of terror, half of her face obscured by rough, opaque scales. The din rose as those who were human enough to care realized what had just been ordered. When Sasuke only scowled Madara stopped before he could exit to look back on Sasuke..

"Now!" he hissed, and vanished, no doubt to attend to one of his little war meetings. Madara was using small forces to inflict acts of terrorism and violence against the villages of the Allied Shinobi Forces. It was the best he could do at this moment without his cursed army. They weren't ready to go all out. So for now, it was guerilla warfare; a small gap of relief for the Shinobi before the large battles raged again.

Kabuto remained, still wearing his slimy smile. "What are you waiting for? Don't tell me you've gone soft." He clucked with a disappointed 'tsk'.

"How about I throw you in with them and we'll see how soft I really am," Sasuke challenged darkly.

"Oh, that's it. I'm sure mere talk of this makes Susano'o's bloodthirst unbearable," Kabuto with a an unimpressed chuckle. With Kabuto around, Sasuke was ready to blow a fuse. He glowered at the medic nin. What exactly was his game? It was obvious he was aware something was off about Sasuke, but if Kabuto was already curious, why hadn't Madara said or done something about it? Was the older Uchiha really that oblivious to him? Sasuke doubted it. One thing remained certain: Madara was oblivious to the fact that he could no longer summon Susano'o.

"What kind of information do you want?" he asked, wary.

Kabuto chuckled. "I want information only you can give me. Tell me a little, and, I'll weed out the lab rats myself. I know just by looking who's useful and who's not. I'll play along with your little game, though. It's obvious to me you aren't Madara's man. Then again, you've never been anyone's man but your own."

"That seems like a small reward for important information." Sasuke quipped. Kabuto made a show of pondering over this, obviously enjoying it.

"Tell me what I want to know, and I'll help you destroy Madara," he said at length. Sasuke frowned.

Kabuto continued, "My research, Sasuke, includes bloodline limits and forbidden jutsus. Orochimaru and I were always attempting to create a powerful vessel, but each time, our creation died. I need new samples. Orochimaru failed to acquire the Sharingan, but I…I have different plans." Sasuke smothered his anger at Kabuto's explanation.

"I want the remaining bodies of Pain. I know Madara has taken care to hide them." Kabuto got straight to the point.

Sasuke looked at him, surprised. "No, you want more than that."

Kabuto grinned. "Sharp boy. I want your word." Sasuke waited for him to continue. "I want word that when this is done, you'll come with me."

Sasuke snorted. "You're a cocky bastard. Why would I come with you?"

"Because, Madara himself isn't my goal. I came here for protection…and for you. Mostly for you."

Sasuke looked sideways at him. Kabuto's skin had a more pearly sheen to it than he'd remembered, and his eyelids were ringed with light purple shadows. Kabuto was dealing with some black art. He sucked in a breath. Then he smirked at the dawning realization.

"You're trying to be Orochimaru," he said, and laughed. it was a chilly sound, and it reverberated off the stone rooms. The experiments shrieked and threw themselves at their steel bars.

Kabuto grimaced."If you come with me, I promise no harm will come to Uzumaki."

Sasuke glared at him. "He doesn't mean shit to me," he lied smoothly. Kabuto considered him for a moment.

"Don't make me prove you wrong, Uchiha," Kabuto hissed. A pearly white snake suddenly shot out from his sleeve, darting to the nearest cell. The woman whose face was half obscured in scales sobbed desperately, begging for mercy, but the snake shot at her, fangs outstretched, and buried itself in her neck.

Her shrieks were the only sound in the cells for a long moment. Dark blood gushed from her neck, splattering in a sick mess on the ground at her feet. She clawed at the snake, but finally slipped in her own pool of blood and lost the battle. More snakes rushed from under Kabuto's cloak, out of his sleeves, and visited each cell, attacking only the ones they smelled weakness on. The warm stench of fresh blood made Sasuke wrinkle his nose, and the screams and shrieks made his head hurt.

Kabuto nodded, satisfied. "They know which ones aren't fit to be here." The snakes returned to him slowly, crawling back up from where they had sprouted. One slithered lazily around Sasuke feet, climbing up his legs and coiling around his shoulders before hissing threateningly in his ear. It plopped softly on the floor and hurried back up Kabuto's sleeve. Kabuto fixed a coal black eye on Sasuke, who shook his head.

"You're stupider than I thought if you think your snakes can frighten me."

"Maybe I don't scare you yet, but I promise I'll make you twist and turn in agony. I promise you'll feel pain in that hole you call a heart. You just have to give me a chance."

Sasuke was tempted, oh so tempted, to run Kabuto through with his blade. The medic nin was lost to a dark and sinister scheme, and it was obvious to him that the Kabuto had acquired strange powers. It was not the place to fight him. Not yet. Soon, definitely soon.

Kabuto spied a bucket and a mop hanging by the entrance to the room, which he promptly threw at Sasuke's feet. "Clean it up. You don't want Madara thinking you can't handle a little bloodshed."

Sasuke clenched his fists. Who the hell did this fucking bastard think he was? He picked up the mop, but not before swiping the handle at Kabuto with a fearsome jab. Before it could hit the medic nin in the jaw (which had to have been no more than half a second) a snake jumped from under Kabuto's cloak, taking the strike and holding the wooden mop handle between its glistening fangs. Sasuke frowned. The snakes made up Kabuto's defenses…a sort of ultimate defense, but how well did to work?

Poison glinted pale yellow on the snake's fangs, and dripped slow as honey down to the stone cold floor. Sasuke was watching it drip when he realized Kabuto was talking to him.

"Five minutes," Kabuto was saying. "The poison works in five minutes. It curdles your blood, makes it thick so it doesn't circulate correctly. The part of the body that's been bitten turns black and rots. Your heart can't pump the curdled blood and you die."

"I'm not afraid of death." Sasuke answered, his voice flat and void of emotion.

"Watch again, don't look away," Kabuto hissed, and sent his snake towards the man with the burning orange eyes. He was laughing with relief in a corner at being spared, his trousers soiled from his fear. He was still laughing as the snake shimmied up to him, biting him on the ankle.

At two minutes, the man's laughs stopped and turned into whimpers. His face pinched and he clutched as his chest. His foot slowly darkened, turning a violent shade of purple before swelling grotesquely and turning black.

At three minutes, his face was swollen and purple, eyes so wide they were white. His tongue flopped out of his mouth as he tried to speak.

At four minutes, he had stopped trying to cry for help and gave up on squirming. Dismally, he tried to curl up in a tight ball in the corner, pulling a rotted blanket over his shoulders.

He never got to pull the blanket over himself. He shuddered, and was still.

"Five minutes," Kabuto repeated in a long hiss. Sasuke stared at the body, and he knew the demonstration wasn't to frighten him of his own death. He was silent.

"Madara believes you are still overcome. I'm not sure what happened to you, but let's just say I've acquired certain…abilities. As I've said, my research is focused on rare bloodline limits. Congratulations, Sasuke, you've caught my sole attention, being the last of your people." Kabuto's eyes gleamed, and Sasuke wondered if it was more than that.

"Do you remember what I did to Orochimaru before he could acquire my Sharingan?" Sasuke asked, eyes cold. Kabuto remembered how Sasuke had absorbed him, but he seemed undeterred by this.

Kabuto shrugged, petting his snake almost lovingly. "My current research is bound to please Madara. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it as well. The deal stands. Come with me when all is said and done, and no harm will come to Uzumaki. I'm sure as time passes, you'll find my deal most alluring," he promised darkly.

Sasuke glared at him. The fact that Kabuto made a show of knowing something he didn't made him uneasy. It could, however, be no more than a bluff. A stunt to try and show off his newly acquired power. What could he hope to achieve by showing Sasuke the deadliness of his snakes? Fear? Sasuke wasn't afraid, not for himself, anyway. His eyes found their way to the man in the cell, and he thought of Naruto with mounting unease

It would never get that far, Sasuke promised himself.

"There is a right time and place for everything, you'll come to find," Kabuto said, studying Sasuke's features for any betrayal of emotion.

Sasuke considered this. "I will come to you when the time is right, but not for what you want. When that time comes, not even Madara will be able to shield you."

"Confident words, but they are empty to me. Come when that time arrives, and we shall see." Kabuto flashed a toothy grin, needle like teeth glinting in the gloom. "I'm guessing you will withhold any information concerning the bodies?" he ventured.

Sasuke snorted. "Ororchimaru was a sick man. You're no better. I'll leave the dead to their peace," he decided.

Kabuto nodded curtly, seeming to suck on his teeth in thought. "Come to me then, Sasuke, when the time is right," Kabuto said again, and vanished, leaving Sasuke alone in the gloom with the moans and gore of the dying and frightened experiments.

* * *

><p>Madara was waiting impatiently in the cave he'd dubbed his hall, a place for meetings and discussions. He was becoming increasingly angry as he listened to the incessant buzzing of the fools he had hired as his army.<p>

They were doubting Sasuke's ability to capture the Nine Tails, of course, and were simply begging Madara for the chance to reap the glory. Kisame was adamant, and Madara wanted nothing more than to run him through.

"The Nine Tails is Sasuke's task," Madara said shortly. His eye narrowed when Kabuto's presence was announced and he entered the room.

"The job is done," The medic nin said vaguely, leaving some of his companions wondering. Madara nodded stiffly.

"Might I have a word?" Kabuto suddenly ventured. Madara glared at the fools gathered around him.

"Leave us," he ordered. Grudgingly, casting dark and murderous looks towards the newcomer, the rogue nin left.

Madara fixed his crimson eye upon Kabuto coldly. "I would be careful, if I were you, Yakushi," he warned in a low voice.

Kabuto chuckled. "Even a man who holds himself equivalent to a god faces mortal peril, Madara."

Madara glowered, not pleased by the comment. "You're wearing thin my hospitality."

Kabuto shrugged. "I'm creating an army for you, Madara," he pointed out. "Which is, by the way, coming along rather well." Madara waited, silently allowing him to continue. He could sense there was something Kabuto was holding back. Something smug in his voice.

"I have mastered Orochimaru's forbidden technique."

Madara's eye widened slightly. It was interesting news. "You claim to raise the dead?" Madara asked, amused. Kabuto grinned, and his hands worked quickly. A summoning. Coffins burst through a cracked stone floor, and the wooden tops flew away, squeaking on their hinges.

"Itachi, Sasori, Kakuzu." Kabuto gestured to the gray, eyeless corpses. Madara was impressed, but not that impressed.

"I know you, Yakushi," he began. "You turn your back on a man as quickly as a chameleon changes its colors. You actually think you can lure me into thinking you're valuable enough to have at my side. It's impressive, but your soulless soldiers won't gain you a hand in my plan."

"I'll give you more, if you hand over Sasuke," Kabuto said suddenly. Madara sucked in a breath in a wave of fresh anger.

"You've been trying to lure him away," Madara accused.

Kabuto didn't deny it. "Give me Sasuke," he continued as he summoned another coffin that burst from the split stone floor. "Help him come to me, and I promise no harm shall come to this body." The top fell away and Madara gaped in amazement, and utter horror, at the shriveled corpse inside.

"How?" He could barely breathe. He'd been so careful...or so he thought. Wildly, he backtracked through his memories, looking for a weak spot somewhere in his plan.

Kabuto grinned evilly. "You have severely underestimated me, Madara Uchiha. I have grown."

Madara stared, breathless, at his own corpse. It was still intact, skin and all. His once handsome face,, sunken, gray, and skeletal, stared back at him with angry red eyes that constantly whirled and spun. Yes, Madara had been keeping himself alive through a most unusual and unique Sharingan technique. It was an illusion most difficult to master, one that seemingly cheated death. As long as his body failed to decompose under the space-time illusion, and his eyes continued to stare, his soul lived on through the illusion. It gave the body Madara inhabited the ability to become an illusion, allowing him to slip through the air like a ghost.

"He'll not come to you," Madara said, meaning Sasuke, and cast a wild glance towards Kabuto. Kabuto shook his head. "Not willingly."

"As if he'd go to you if I ordered it?" Madara laughed harshly.

"He will if we play him right. He is only human, after all," Kabuto reminded him. Madara eyed him shrewdly.

"I will not deny myself my rightful vengeance." He saw no need to hide anything further from this calculatingly cool medic nin, whom he immediately despised with every fiber of his being.

"Then take your vengeance, and give me the boy after, by force if you must. I cannot seem to sway him."

"Of course not, he is his own man," Madara scoffed.

"Something we have in common," Kabuto said with a smile. He pressed on, "I'll help you bring the demon child safely into existence, and help you rise to power. But in return, you must shield me and you _will_ let me have Sasuke." He gestured towards Madara's coffin.

Madara mulled it over. "It cannot be helped," he decided.

* * *

><p>Sasuke shivered as he washed the blood from his hands in the cold water of the waterfall. The autumn chill gave the water a bite like ice. The blood swirled away pink in the frothy white water, and Sasuke thought of Naruto.<p>

He splashed water on his face, feeling a familiar stirring within his body. The day had given way to night, and he stared up at the stars, bright as candles. If only they could warm him.

Naruto had been so warm. The thought came unbidden. He grimaced. Naruto was like the sun, and Sasuke? Sasuke was nothing but a shadow slithering through the night. He thought he had known nothing but darkness and cold, but then…

Naruto had shown him what true warmth felt like. A warmth he had probably shown Sasuke since their days together on Team seven, but after a time Sasuke had been too jealous, too bitter, and too confused about how he felt to completely recognize it for what it was.

Warmth…he remembered it from when he was young, naïve, and innocent. It was the gentle touch of his mother as she rocked him in her arms and sang him to sleep. It was the reluctant yet proud smile that rarely graced his father's rough features. It was hearing Itachi say "I'm proud of you, little brother." That is what warmth had felt like. It had been a distant memory, until Naruto and the evening two long weeks ago.

That was a different warmth. The type that settled in Sasuke's belly and made him grin like a fool. Sasuke cast a wary eye around him before shucking off his clothing and wading into the water. Even with the chill, his erection stayed firm and full as his mind drifted to that night. It was maddening. He groaned, willing it away, but the more he wished for it to disappear, the more he thought of Naruto.

Hesitantly, he reached for himself, cautiously stroking his length. He forgot about the chill. His fingers glided over the silky skin slowly at first. He imagined the cornflower eyes blazing, dark and heavy lidded.

"Sasuke." Even Naruto's breath had smelled sweet against Sasuke's cheek. Even then it had been warm. Sasuke shivered.

"Sasuke." Naruto's voice hovered deliciously between a growl and a low moan. The feel of his skin, so hot, so warm. The feel of his strong hands, the ripple of muscle underneath his sun-kissed skin…

Sasuke hissed and arched, pumping faster. Lips so full, mouth so inviting. The tight heat that awaited him…

He bit back a moan. Sasuke imagined Naruto's voice once more. If only he could hear it, it would surely send him over the edge-

"Sasuke? Is that you?"

Sasuke froze mid-pump. On the other side of the pool, Suigetsu's pale head had surfaced, violet eyes ogling him with a mixture of mischief and glee. Obviously the youth had blended in with the water and had most likely been floating around the entire time. If mere looks could kill, Suigetsu would have died instantly.

Instead, Suigetsu skipped out of the water and laughed, leaving Sasuke to throw a rock at his retreating back._  
><em>


	7. Unpleasant Surprises

_Unpleasant Surprises_

The tips of Tsunade's polished nails drummed incessantly on the mahogany top of her desk. _Drum, drum, drum_. Naruto fidgeted in his seat, cursing all its discomfort. He thought his ass would eventually go numb if he had to sit here any longer. His blue eyes wandered and met the Fifth's burning gaze once again. He had been sitting in her office for just short of an hour. The first half hour of it, she'd been called away for a "short" meeting and she'd ordered him to stay put.

So he had, counting down the minutes until he paced around the room and peered at her books out of boredom. At one point he'd grown bold and drawn mustaches on some of the portraits in her copy of _History of the Leaf: The Years and Accomplishments of the First Four Hokages._

Tsunade was keeping tight-lipped about why she thought Naruto had any more to say about Sasuke that he hadn't already told her. Grimacing, he began to fear that maybe she'd heard something troubling.

"Naruto." Tsunade began again, "Do you know what it means to be Hokage?"

Naruto snorted at the question, a little surprised and perturbed. What could this be leading to? "What am I? Five?"

"Responsibility, Naruto," Tsunade rumbled. "Loyalty and the protection of our village, our people, those beloved to us. Sometimes we must come to terms with the inevitable. Some people cannot be saved, and in that moment, you must remember what you are fighting for as ninja of the Hidden Leaf."

Naruto straightened, blue eyes blazing with anger. "You want to talk about Sasuke? Again? I told you everything about the fight already! What more can I possibly tell you?" he asked resentfully. Tsunade fixed her golden eyes upon him, and he beheld no mercy in her fierce gaze. He felt his heart sink.

"Yes, and now I need to make certain you won't pull another stunt like that ever again! You aren't here so I can ask you questions. You're here so I can make this _clear_ for you."

He winced and resisted the urge to get up and leave the room in frustration. He clenched his fists. "I told you. We were fighting, and then he was gone." In a sense, it was true, anyway. By now the unfinished story slipped from his lips so easily and so persistently it was hard to not feel guilty. It was as if it was _all_ that had happened. Tsunade frowned, pursing her lips. She folded her hands and rested her chin upon the knot of fingers, studying him.

After a tense silence, she spoke. "What if I said I don't believe you?"

The words Naruto had rehearsed again and again died in his throat. He stared at her, wide-eyed and disbelieving. _Get up_. He told himself. _Glare at her and tell her how disappointed you are with her, how you can't believe she of all people would turn her back on you!_ But he couldn't say it. The way she stared at him made him feel uneasy, as if she _knew_ and this was her plan of attack in order to get him to spill his guts.

"What if I said," She continued, "That I felt your connection to Sasuke is too deep?"

Naruto frowned at the choice of words. "You've already told me I'm too emotionally involved, that type of thinking is to be expected. I won't deny it," he answered carefully, his gaze never wavering.

"Naruto, I've had you trailed."

"I know," he growled, not impressed.

"What were you doing at the memorial?"

Naruto stilled. Were they already dissecting every little tear, every outburst? His mouth worked, but he didn't spit out the angry words climbing up his throat. Tsunade was the Hokage, and there was a line Naruto could cross.

"Naruto, the depth of any sort of past relationship you've had is none of my business,, but I need to make myself clear. This is not a time to reflect on the past. This is not a time when people who turn away from us can be saved.

Sometimes, you have to accept fate. Acting rashly can affect our entire village, and the peace amongst the villages in Shinobi Alliance is thin. You are an important figure Naruto. You're a hero. Someone the people look up to. Your actions reflect heavily upon this village. Upon me. I need to know I can put you back out on the field and trust you to make a ninja's decision should the moment arise. That's all." This time Tsunade's voice was quiet, her eyes soft.

Naruto looked away. He felt his cheeks flame, and suddenly it was too warm in Tsunade's office. The shame, the guilt, the anger, the pain, all of it threatened to swell and bubble to the surface. He wouldn't let it. He'd been so angry lately. Angry at the villagers, angry at himself, angry at Sasuke. Mostly angry with Sasuke. He swallowed the painful lump that had formed in his throat.

He looked at her fiercely."I know. I understand." He hated that he felt as though he'd been figured out.

"I can't put you on a mission until I've evaluated you myself." She said, and for once her voice sounded almost maternal. Naruto looked away from her.

"Naruto, I know you understand my reasons for keeping you here in the village. There is danger out there, mortal danger, the risk of murder and betrayal, and you are letting yourself be overcome. It's crippling," she said bluntly. Naruto puffed up, indignant, but he held his tongue again. He nodded curtly.

Point taken, Lady Hokage.

"You know, kid, I've never met anyone like you. You're the type of person someone sees once and never forgets. It's that insufferable spirit of yours that's so infectious…" She grinned at her choice of words, though it was a bittersweet smile. "Sometimes even I truly believe nothing is out of your reach. That's how I much I believe in you. Would I consider you as my successor if I thought otherwise?" she shot at him. That surprised him, and he looked up disbelievingly. He smiled a little, but remained silent.

Tsunade sighed and continued. "Naruto, you aren't a miracle worker. It ends here. I already sent off my team."

Naruto's stomach clenched."You never learn, Granny. They'll fail. I'm the only one who can touch him. They'll only get hurt. Or worse," he said grimly.

The comment made her flush with irritation. "You might be the only one who can touch him, but even your touch didn't have a lasting effect," she said mildly. Naruto turned red at the implication and wished he could leave.

"If he didn't stick around after, he'll never come back to you." The instant she said it, she regretted it. Her words were a slap in the face. They were personal. She was crossing a line between Hokage and personal friend. The look of pain in those cornflower blue eyes made her feel like a true villain. _No, it must be done. It's gone on too long and it is ruining him. He must abandon his memories and end this foolishness. I cannot afford him risking the result of this war on whatever skeleton he and Sasuke have hidden in the closet. He's too important._

"The Sasuke you knew is gone."

Naruto looked up at her, his face strangely impassive. The look of hurt had disappeared from his eyes, and they glittered brilliantly. "So is the compassion I once thought my friends had." His words hit home, and Tsunade's words died in her throat.

She stared at him. "I'm guessing you won't cooperate with my evaluation."

"I'll cooperate, and I'm ready to fight. So there it is." He rose, bowed his head towards her out of respect, and turned to leave.

Tsunade stopped him, hating herself a little. She hadn't fully explained herself and the reason for putting him back on the field. "I wrote the Kages. We have all agreed that it is in everyone's best interest to hide you until Sasuke is taken care of. I wanted you to fight alongside our comrades, but I cannot afford a misstep. Not this time. I wanted to be sure you were ready for this mission, for this trip. It will be under the guise of an S-class mission." Naruto paused long enough for her to continue.

"You will be traveling with the Cloud to a remote location. Not even I can reveal the exact coordinates to you. You will need to say your goodbyes. You leave in a matter of days. We can't be certain you'll meet Sasuke along the way, but you're certain to come across scattered Akatsuki troops. You're also meant to gather any intel you can on the way."

His shoulders sagged, and Naruto wondered how it had all gone so wrong. "You don't trust me."

"I don't trust Sasuke," Tsunade corrected him.

Naruto snorted. "Fine, but take the ANBU guards off my roof."

"I will dismiss the team, but I will leave one guard to stand watch over you nightly," Tsunade conceded. Naruto shook his head, but he had no choice but to agree to her terms. Muttering darkly, he left Tsunade in her office. She sank in her chair, pulling a bottle of sake out from one of her drawers and took a healthy swallow.

It needed to be done.

* * *

><p>Seething, Naruto trudged from the Hokage's quarters. He ignored the stares, even the polite inquiries to his health and well-being. At the moment, he felt betrayed by them all.<p>

It was simply no fair. One mistake and everyone looked at him with apprehension and dawning fear.

Were they right in placing their trust in the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki that was so desperately desired by their enemy? Especially if that enemy was so desperately desired by their hero? What if he was an idiot and tried to the impossible, risking their lives and sacrificing them in the end for his own selfish desires?

Naruto hated mulling over the gossip, but he knew it was what was being said. Naturally, people were afraid. Fear bred conflict, and conflict bred anger and distrust. It was only natural they would turn and criticize a powerful figure. Who else could they blame?

Was that it then? Their fear was only _natural_? he thought scornfully. Yes, only natural, and it all stemmed from the hellish demon locked away inside him. The burden Naruto carried for them, even if his fate wasn't of his choosing. He wasn't sure whether he was disgusted or depressed. He had lived with these thoughts for so long, and had thought himself triumphant over their dark meanings, but now he wasn't so sure. For the first time in a while, he felt truly alone.

The lined grin of old man Teuchi was a welcome sight as Naruto wandered downtown. He slid into a stool at Ichariku Ramen's booth, feeling a little better and more at ease at the smell of food.

Teuchi dropped a large bowl of miso ramen in front of an eager Naruto and chuckled heartily. "Some things never change!" he laughed.

Naruto tucked in and grinned through a mouthful. "Nothing lifts the spirit like a bowl of ramen, old man!" he said, licking his lips as he noisily slurped up some noodles. Teuchi shook his head in mock sadness.

"It's a wonder you haven't put my new restaurant out of business yet. You eat so much ramen it costs a fortune to replace!" he complained, stirring a pot. The old man looked at Naruto seriously.

"You say nothing lifts the spirits better than a good bowl of ramen. Is something troubling you?" Teuchi was only being grandfatherly Naruto knew, but he was uncomfortable with the question. So he grinned brightly and complained of his duties.

"You can complain when you have actual missions to go on!" a voice called out. Naruto turned and flipped off Kiba, who laughed. He had been passing by, accompanied by Shino. Shino nodded and Kiba enthusiastically invited Naruto to join them for a drink. He must really be stressed. The blond shook his head the moment Teuchi slapped Kiba over the head with a whip of his towel.

"Bunch of brats, don't talk about liquor in front of me when you're not even old enough to hold it!" He warned.

Kiba groaned and went on a tirade. "Come on, old man, times are hard and this war sucks. If we're old enough to die out there, we're old enough for a little drink, doncha think? Soon, we might not even get to see each other and we'll be on the battle field. Give a couple hard working ninja a break why don't ya?"

Teuchi shook his head and hurried back to his ramen. Naruto paid and thanked him before joining the other two.

"Be smart, Naruto!" Teuchi called after him, and Naruto waved, assuring him he would hooked an arm around Naruto's neck and filled him in.

"My cousin's working the shift at the Red Fox, she's gonna let us in!" Kiba told him. When the blond didn't say anything immediately Kiba sighed.

"Loosen up!" he scolded.

Naruto laughed. "Ha, if I loosen up any more than you, my shit will fall right out of my ass," he taunted.

Kiba bristled and tackled him, though they both laughed while Akamaru barked and growled. Shino watched them curiously through dark goggles and hesitated when they reached the Red Fox.

"Alcohol clouds the mind," he said, uncertain. Shino never usually participated in Kiba's drinking escapades, much to the other's chagrin. Inuzuka must have felt particularly triumphant to have convinced his teammate enough to join him.

Kiba snorted. "So do women, but we do them anyway, right?" he retorted, flashing a toothy grin. Shino flushed crimson, brows furrowed. Apparently he didn't share similar experiences.

Naruto quickly cut in, sparing Shino the awkward moment. "Ha! Like you really get around!" Naruto jested, pointing at Kiba and laughing loudly. Kiba flushed and narrowed his eyes, not too pleased. He looked embarrassed.

"At least the girls I sleep with remember me!" he shot back before thinking, and then he seemed to realize what he had said. Naruto stopped laughing and stared at Kiba strangely for a second. Then he smiled, deciding that any sort of conflict just wasn't worth it.

"Aw, shit, hey man, I didn't mean-" Kiba began to awkwardly apologize, but Naruto cut him off.

"Please. I'm so good, the girls black out from pleasure and have a hard time remembering if it was me they slept with, or some god," he said, grinning broadly, a twinkle in his blue eyes. Kiba guffawed, shaking his head.

"Whatever, let's go in." Kiba slapped Shino on the shoulder and led him inside, Naruto followed behind, hands stuffed in his pockets, suddenly quiet. He wondered if even Shino knew about him and Sakura. He wouldn't be surprised. He inwardly groaned. How embarrassing.

Kiba's cousin had a pretty heart shaped face that any young man might have looked at twice, if it hadn't been for the giant dog at her heels growling at anyone who bothered to look. She smacked Kiba over the head for showing up, and her trusty canine eyed them all warily. She continued to complain about how she was going to lose her job, but she let them in anyway.

The bar was deserted save for a few old men sipping their whiskey and one tattered looking man snoring away in a corner, his hand curled around a bottle of sake.

Kiba handed Shino a beer, egging him on. Naruto joined in, joking and pestering until Shino finally took a gulp. Oh the joys of peer pressure.

For a little while, Naruto tried to enjoy himself, although his system broke the alcohol down so fast he'd have to chug like a madman to feel a buzz for a few minutes. Oh how he wished the damned fox would let him enjoy a good buzz for once. It'd be nice to forget. To just laugh and shrug everything off, never mind the consequences.

Naruto gripped his glass and threw the alcohol down his throat, slamming the glass down and asking for more, much to the amusement of his companions.

After an hour, Kiba and Shino were flushed, sluggish, and slurring their words. Naruto had a headache. He listened idly to their drunken stammers.

"You know," Kiba began, after a moment of silence, "I'm kind of scared." Naruto looked up at him. Kiba burped and swirled the sake around in his glass, seeming forlorn. Shino said nothing, only seemed to stare straight ahead, the ruddy light from the bar reflecting off his black goggles.

"What if we never get to see each other like this again?" Kiba asked in a slightly wavering voice.

Naruto groaned. "Shit, I should have known better than to come out with you! You're such a sad drunk!"

Kiba growled at that. "I'm serious, man! Soon all hell's gonna break loose again. We've all been so close to dying, yet here we are, still alive and laughing. How long's that gonna last? And what about you?" He gestured towards Naruto, who squirmed in his seat and winced against his headache.

"They're after you," Kiba said. "Madara and Sasuke, and you just charge Sasuke head on with no regard for your own life. What's wrong with you?" he blurted, suddenly angry. Naruto slouched in his chair and rubbed his temples.

"Sasuke is a touchy subject for him, leave him be." Shino advised.

Kiba growled again. "Let him go, man. He's shown us where his loyalties lay, and it's not with us. The world's better off with the bastard dead. I hope Shikamaru's team brings him down. Why the fuck are you so persistent? I'm sick of being nice about it. You go after him like you can't bear to let him go, like he's everything or something! I mean, what, are you fucking homo for him or something?" He barked out a harsh laugh.

Naruto stiffened. Before he could think about what he was doing, he abruptly stood, slamming his glass hard on the table. It shattered. Kiba's cousin, Keiko, shrieked.

"The fuck did you call me?" Naruto snarled. Kiba swayed on his feet slightly when he stood, cheeks a rosy pink.

"Fuck, you make me so mad sometimes! I'm just trying to be your friend. I don't want you to die, but then there you are, ready to die for this bastard who hates your guts and would kill you in a heartbeat. Why do you love him like you do? What about your real friends?"

Naruto's headache throbbed worse than ever and he growled, closing his eyes for a second, but Keiko's voice was hissing through his thoughts. "Kiba! You dumbass! Take your little friends and get out before I get in trouble! Get out, now, before I have to call security!" she hissed, throwing a towel at them.

"I was already going," Naruto grumbled. Kiba stumbled after him pausing the thank his cousin for the drinks. Naruto winced against the sunlight as he strode outside, kicking up dust.

"Just listen to me, man-" Kiba grabbed Naruto's elbow, but he shrugged Kiba off a little roughly.

"Go sleep the sake off," Naruto said, thoroughly annoyed. Maybe going for a drink had been a bad idea after all.

"Go sleep Sasuke off!" Kiba retorted lamely, grabbing at Naruto once more and trying to turn him around face to face. Infuriated at this point, Naruto turned and pushed Kiba off of him, hoping his friend would take the hint and stumble on home. Kiba staggered, and suddenly he was throwing a punch. Naruto blocked it and pushed Kiba away once more.

"You're being an idiot, Kiba," Naruto hissed at him. Kiba shook his head sadly.

"So that's how it is?" he laughed bitterly. People had begun to stare. Naruto eyed them nervously, feeling embarrassed.

"Come on, I'll walk you home." Naruto mumbled, reaching for Kiba's shoulder. Whether it was the alcohol, or simply pent up anger, Kiba lashed out Naruto, tackling him to the ground. Shino watched apprehensively, leaning against a wall, cheeks still pink. Not wanting to hurt his friend too badly, Naruto flipped Kiba off him. Kiba landed hard on his back, groaning. Akamaru was circling them, snarling.

"Are you going to calm down now?" Naruto offered a hand, but Kiba grabbed his ankle and dragged Naruto down, fangs bared. Despite the alcohol's influence, his reflexes were still lightning quick. They grappled, spitting curses.

One of the flying punches hit Naruto in the temple and he gritted his teeth.

"Fucking hell, Kiba!" He pushed Kiba off him, gingerly touching a gash by his eye. Kiba's nails had elongated into claws, and he'd raked a claw across Naruto's face. By now, Kiba was silently crying, giving up on the fight. Shocked, Naruto stared at him.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Kiba said, sniffling, his fat bottom lip still oozing fresh blood. "Why do you gotta be like this? Is Sasuke really that important? What about the rest of us?"

Naruto stood, holding a hand to his eye. "Everything's wrong with me, apparently," he muttered, hefting Kiba up from under his armpits. "Come on, time to go home."

A small crowd had gathered by now, and ninja were arriving, but the fight was over, and they only ushered bystanders away. Kakashi appeared, giving Naruto a long look with a smoky gray eye.

"That gash is kind of deep," he observed, once he noticed Naruto. Naruto shrugged.

"'S not so bad."

"Yeah, Naru," Kiba was slurring, "It's a pretty fucking badass slash!" Naruto rolled his eyes at his friend's drunken antics and pulled him along.

"Let me take Kiba home so you can go to the clinic to get it stitched up," Kakashi offered.

"Like it won't heal on its own in a couple of hours?" Naruto pointed out, unsure as to why Kakashi insisted. Sighing, Naruto eventually gave in, his head still throbbing. Kakashi walked off with Kiba, and Naruto headed to the clinic, holding his sleeve up to his eye to staunch the blood. He didn't head there right away, and took a detour for a while to clear his head.

By the time he reached the clinic, Kakashi had already found his way back to the hospital's entrance, obviously curious, or waiting for Naruto. Or both. They headed towards the double doors together in silence. Naruto wondered if Kakashi had anything important to say, or anything to rip his butt about. Everyone else seemed to have an opinion. Still, Kakashi said nothing, only hummed tunelessly.

"You know," Kakashi said finally as they walked through the sterile smelling halls, "Once I thought I loved someone. She was from a different village, a village that didn't take too kindly to ours. I thought it wouldn't matter, but I was young and stupid. Do you know what happened?"

Naruto didn't answer, so Kakashi went on. "She betrayed me. She used me to try and enter the village to gather intel." He paused to add, "And then she stole my cat."

Naruto blinked at him."That sucks," he said.

Kakashi shrugged. "A lot of things suck. But you know, she taught me something about bonds. A true bond cannot be broken, and real love is never forgotten, even for a ninja."

Naruto groaned, missing some of the meaning. "Just say it. Tell me I'm an idiot. That I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. Tell me that he never cared about me, and that he never will. Tell me I'll never be able to save him. Tell me that my feelings border on the unnatural. Just get it over with, I don't care anymore." He seemed to choke on his own voice and quieted.

Kakashi sighed. "I won't, because I don't want to bring you down. I'm just telling you what I learned. I'm just saying, if it's real, it's never truly forgotten. Think about it," he said after a moment. Naruto said nothing in response.

Kakashi suddenly perked up. "Oh, look, we're here. Sakura's on duty, she'll fix you right up! Isn't that great?" Kakashi said cheerfully, quickly changing the subject. Naruto glared at him.

"Sakura?! What-You knew she'd be the one fixing me up, didn't you?" Naruto cried.

Kakashi walked away, smiling, pulling Icha Icha Paradise out of his pocket. "It wounds me to see two of my students fighting so bitterly. Time to make up!" He grinned and disappeared down the adjacent hall.

"Meddling bastard!" Naruto fumed, but he kept walking anyway. Sakura, as Naruto expected, seemed flustered to see him. She quickly worked on the gash and asked if any other damage had been done. Instead of waiting for an answer, Sakura plowed on, hands glowing green, as she checked Naruto over.

"Really, Sakura, that's unnecessary," he mumbled, fidgeting.

Sakura blushed. "That gash looked bad, I'm just making sure everything else looks okay," she said quickly.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "There's no need to check my whole body over, it was only a gash!" he complained, but then his face lit up with a foxy grin. "Unless you're looking for a medical excuse to check me out!" He laughed, and the vein in Sakura's forehead pulsed. He quickly quieted when she hit him over the head. He whimpered.

"Naruto!" she warned dangerously.

"Sakuraaa!" Naruto whined, holding his head. "It's not my fault you need medical excuses to cop a feel!"

She refrained from hitting him again, and sighed. "You're supposed to get a routine check-up anyway before you leave. Tsunade's orders. Just to make sure everything looks good and the Kyuubi's chakra isn't leaking out-"

Naruto cut her off. "I have the key to the seal, I would know if chakra was leaking out and I needed to tighten it-"

"Neji said you had a chakra imbalance!" Sakura blurted.

Naruto paused, then cursed. "Goddamn Neji! Look, Sakura, there's nothing wrong, really."

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah, well, Tsunade is flustered about it. She wanted to check you out herself, but since you're here, I'm just going to look you over." She hesitated, her hands fluttering over his midsection. Her brows furrowed.

"Maybe he was right," she said quietly. Naruto cocked an eyebrow, suddenly nervous.

"I can feel a concentrated energy," she explained, looking anxious. A sudden fear seized Naruto, but he shoved it down. _I have the key. I have the ability to tighten the seal. There's no way the Kyuubi can be leaking out on me._ But now there was evidence supporting the theory. Sakura's hand was hovering over his stomach, where his seal was. He suppressed a shiver. _No, no, no. Please don't let that be happening_, he quietly despaired. Sakura seemed genuinely frightened and concerned.

She looked up at him. "Wouldn't you have some sort of warning if he was leaking out?"

"Of course! I don't understand what this is, but I would sure as hell know if that bastard was leaking out!" Naruto snapped, too nervous to dull his words.

Sakura shook her head. "That's it, you're seeing Tsunade. I don't know what this means." She opened the door leading out of the examining room, waiting for him to follow. Swallowing his fear, Naruto followed her.

* * *

><p>Tsunade looked to Shizune, heart racing. Naruto was waiting for her verdict on the situation, and she could hardly contain her own fear. Could it be? The Fourth's seal weakening that much? A tailed beast had not been unleashed in almost seventeen years. The thought of it made her hands tremble as she reached out towards the area where Sakura had recorded the feeling of concentrated energy.<p>

Naruto lay so still upon the examining table, it was almost unnatural. The glitter in his eyes had faded to a dull sheen, and she knew it was because he was terrified of bad news. Sakura hovered in the background, watching Naruto intensely, green eyes gleaming.

Slowly, Tsuande reached out. She almost gasped at the feeling of the concentrated chakra that swirled within Naruto. It was…odd. Normally, she saw chakra displacements in pregnant women, especially in nin, due to the body's natural defenses in order to better protect the developing fetus. Otherwise, chakra displacement could be seen when a ninja was mortally wounded, or even terminally ill or battling serious infection. The body worked furiously to recover, sending energy to the affected area of the body. Even then, it wasn't this noticeable.

It was disconcerting to see chakra displacement of this level in a male who was otherwise healthy. It made no sense. However, as a seasoned medic nin, Tsunade was aware there were always exceptions.

Frowning, she used her healing chakra to reach out farther, trying to identify the nature of the chakra. Sure enough, she was met with the heat of the Kyuubi's chakra, which wasn't a good sign. However, a large portion of it was also Naruto's natural chakra. The two chakras seemed to be in a good balance, which troubled her.

"You can breathe now, Naruto. I highly doubt your chakra displacement is due to the Fourth's seal weakening beyond repair." She heard Naruto let out a breath he'd been holding.

"So what's up then?" he wondered. Tsunade pursed her lips.

"Could be infection. Maybe a bad ulcer," She decided, still searching her mind for an answer.

Naruto frowned. "I don't feel sick-"

"Chakra displacements are normally only seen in men when they're sick or mortally wounded. I'm ordering an ultrasound to take a look inside your abdominal cavity, just to ensure there isn't anything wrong or inflamed."

Naruto grumbled but waited on the examining table. Finally Shizune arrived with the machine, and Tsunade realized she had been impatiently tapping her foot.

"Pull up your shirt," she ordered. Naruto grinned, and just like that, the boy she knew had returned.

"No roaming eyes, Granny," he teased, and Tsunade smacked him over the head but chuckled a little. At least he was more at ease, his blue eyes glittering again. He rubbed his head and muttered a complaint about the cold gel applied to his stomach, and Tsunade swirled the wand around for a moment as she got her bearings.

Naruto squinted at the screen."See anything yet?"

"Just give me a minute!" she snapped, eyes narrowing. She checked the kidneys first. Normal. Stomach. Normal. No ulcers or inflammation. She tried to dig deeper. She went lower, and frowned.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Naruto asked, noticing her furrowed brows.

"Hush!" Tsunade snapped, and leaned closer, closer, and even closer still to the screen in disbelief. She applied a little more pressure to the wand, taking a closer look at the small black bubble on screen. Odd, very odd.

"Is that-?" Shizune began, but Tsunade cut her off.

"Draw blood," she ordered.

Naruto immediately protested. "Hell no!"

"I want a sample. _Now_," Tsunade growled, and Naruto quieted. He winced as Shizune drew a blood sample.

"So, are you going to tell me if I'm sick or something?" He asked impatiently. Tsunade frowned.

"No, because I don't know yet, hence the blood test. I'll have the results in an hour. Sakura, admit him to a room. Depending on the results I want to do another exploratory ultrasound."

"Holy crap, I'm really sick aren't I?" Naruto groaned. Sakura looked pale.

"Is that why my head hurts?" the boy asked, searching for any kind of reason to explain this sudden ailment he guessed he had. Tsunade shook her head.

"I'm sure that's because you've been drinking, brat. I could smell it on your breath. Consider yourself damn lucky I didn't report you. Now off with you!" Once alone, she looked desperately to Shizune.

"I don't understand," Tsunade blurted out.

Shizune's brows furrowed as she thought. "It looked like-"

"I know damn well what it looked like! But there has to be another explanation. Test his blood for hCG. If the hormone's present, then it's exactly what it looked like."

Shizune looked disgruntled. "But-how can a man-"

"Through an incredibly dangerous deal with a Jinchuuriki's demon, Shizune, that's how. Very few medical professionals are aware of it, and if any know if it, they do because it's an old fairy tale. But I did extensive research with the rare and bizarre alongside a colleague of mine, and came across some reading years back in my early days as a medic nin. Even then, it seemed more legend than truth. I highly doubt any medics have placed any truth in it…until now."

Shizune paled. "Deal? Surely Sasuke wouldn't be aware-"

Tsunade cut her off once more. "Not Sasuke. Madara, he's old enough to have heard of it in his lifetime, I'm sure. Still…it doesn't make sense. Naruto would have known if someone had made contact with the very demon locked inside him! Surely he would have told me, and Naruto himself couldn't have made such a deal. The blood test better be negative, or we're in deep shit."


	8. The Sly Fox and Its Secrets

_The Sly Fox and Its Secrets_

Sakura handed Naruto a pill for his headache, watching him closely, as if he were fragile. Naruto cast an irritated glance her way.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"I'm scared," she said, and Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.

"Why?"

"What if something's really wrong with you? Why didn't Tsunade tell us what she saw? I thought…I never thought you could get sick, I thought the Kyuubi would always heal it."

Naruto's eyes widened when she turned away, trying to busy herself. She was shaking.

"Are you crying?" he asked incredulously, nervous.

"No!" She swiped at her eyes. After a moment she stamped her foot in frustration. "Dammit, Naruto, you're such an asshole!" she cried suddenly.

Naruto spluttered, whip-lashed by the sudden turn in the conversation. "W-what?"

"You have absolutely no respect for my feelings!"

"Where the hell did this come from!" he cried, hoping the pill for his headache kicked in within the next minute or so.

Sakura swiped at her eyes, taking on a stance that looked eerily similar to Tsunade in her powerful anger. "You're such a fucking jerk! How could you have said something so horrible! It's not like you! What's gotten into you anyway? I understand you're upset about Sasuke, but you didn't have to take it out on me!" She was really crying now, and Naruto was at a loss. She's still upset about what I said to her all those nights ago.

Guilt washed over him. He was sorry for that, he really was. He'd thought about it multiple times. His mouth felt dry. It was time to apologize. "Sakura," he said gently, "Calm down and listen for a-"

"You were my first!" she said angrily. "Then you had to go and _defile_ it like that! Make it all seem like it was nothing."

Naruto stared at her, stunned. "Well, you did a shitty job of showing me you cared!" he shot at her. Was he really getting attacked over her mistake? Damn! He leaned back against his pillows, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sakura sniffed, wiping her eyes."So what if I can't forget Sasuke, neither can you. That doesn't mean I can't move on."

"Sakura, you're not even letting me say I'm sor-"

"You're not ready to let him go, either. You never moved on." Sakura whispered. "Even after all this, you're still going to try."

"Of course I am. What else do you want me to say?" Naruto wondered, watching her closely. He felt a pang at the subject change.

"I guess it's twisted," Sakura continued, ignoring him. "I can't let either of you go. Is it weird to think that we were brought together because we shared a common sadness from Sasuke's absence in our lives?" She walked towards a window. Looked outside for a little while.

After a moment more she said, "I care about you."

Naruto bent his head, fiddled with his bed sheets, closed his eyes and took a breath. He did not want to have this conversation. He didn't want to hurt her again.

"You said you liked me for so long, yet you're silent. So I guess this is the third time you reject me." Her voice hung suspended, melancholy.

He sighed, weary. "Things change, Sakura."

"Do you regret sleeping with me?" she asked quietly, still thinking of his words from that night.

"No!" he insisted, silently cursing. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that-I shouldn't-You know-I want you to know that-argh!" He shook his head, stumbling over his words.

She smiled faintly at his attempt. "You told me that you knew I would always love Sasuke more than I loved you. It's true that I'll always love him, but the more I think about it, the more it sounds like you, not me."Sakura surprised him by saying. Naruto looked up at her. Was everyone coming to this conclusion now? he thought bitterly.

"We both love him," she said.

Naruto looked away, leaned back. It was his turn to look out the window. "I said I'd bring him back, I never said anything about loving him," he said gruffly.

Sakura smiled at him sadly. "But you do." She walked out of the room then, and Naruto noticed how her shoulders shook as she left. She was still crying. Cursing, he sank into his pillow, wanting the day to end. Hell, he wanted this year to end. The whole year had been tarnished with the war, the past couple weeks had been torture, and now it was bordering on three weeks since…he closed his eyes. No, he wouldn't think of it. Before he could drift off into a light sleep, Tsunade burst loudly through the door to his room, looking furious.

"The hell-?" Naruto squealed, sinking further back into his bed and eyeing her imposing figure warily.

"You better not ever fucking lie to me ever again, brat!" Tsunade hissed, grabbing Naruto by the gown and yanking him forward. Naruto's eyes widened, unsure of exactly what was going on. So he said nothing. Tsunade released him to stalk to the door and close it with a snap. She paced for several seconds. Finally, she took a deep breath.

"You let someone talk to the Nine Tails," she accused.

Stunned, Naruto gaped at her."No! I never-"

"I said don't fucking _lie_ to me!" Tsunade shouted, slamming her fist against the wall and leaving a dent. _Damn, she's pissed_. Naruto met her gaze, apprehensive.

"I said I never let anyone speak to the Nine Tails," he repeated firmly. Tsunade clenched her fist but didn't let it fly.

"Then why," she began, voice shaking, "Why are you approximately five weeks pregnant?"

Naruto stared at her. For several long moments he said nothing. What did anyone say to something like _that? _Finally, he made for the door. "I'm leaving. Apparently something is very wrong with you. Were _you_ the one drinking, Granny?"

Tsunade blocked the door with her body. "This is not a joke, Naruto," she said through clenched teeth. "How you can be such an idiot at a time like this is beyond me."

Naruto felt his whole face turn red. "I'm the idiot? I'm not the one trying to persuade a _guy_ that he's five weeks pregnant!" he shouted, vexed.

"Tell me right now, who you let speak to the Nine Tails, or if anyone did so against your will, or so help me I will send you to Ibiki," she swore darkly.

Naruto stilled, her anger sending him reeling. She'd meant it, too, he realized with mounting apprehension. "No one." he repeated. Tsunade's cheeks were splotchy. She was wild-eyed as he said it. For one horrifying moment, he truly thought she was going to send for Ibiki. It hit him hard then: she wasn't fooling around. He was dumbstruck.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, her golden eyes boring into his blue ones. He held her gaze defiantly, and she pulled away from him after a few seconds, seemingly satisfied…for the moment. She rubbed her temples.

"This is beyond me," she muttered, massaging her temples. She looked so serious, so forlorn, that Naruto actually began to feel afraid.

"Am I really…?" His voice trailed, just saying it in his head sounded completely ridiculous and asinine. There was no way he could actually say it out loud.

"Yes," Tsunade snapped. "Four weeks, six days. Five tomorrow."

Naruto blinked. It was too weird, too surreal, to believe for a second. "I really can't believe you," he said finally.

Tsunade's shoulders sagged. "It's not common knowledge. It's the Nine Tails. There was a rumor, legend of sorts that dealt with Jinchuurikis. Supposedly, there is a slight chance of escape in a human body. Demons are the original users of jutus, the original manipulators of nature with ancient arts. They can manipulate your very being if they know how. It's hard to tell what really happens. No one really knows. A deal is made with the demon, it is then consummated, and a child is conceived as a result. It's a dangerous, dark, taboo. A black art. Such a person might even be more desired than Jinchuurikis." Tsuande groaned, glaring at Naruto.

"Do you know what this means for us politically, should it be found out?" she pressed.

Naruto was silent. He was still trying to absorb it all, and he was failing.

"Do you have any idea what will be said? 'There goes the Leaf, dabbling in the dark arts!' They'll grow suspicious, thinking we're creating some sort of super soldier. Not to mention the backlash that we're already experiencing from the failure of Sasuke's capture. We're on thin ice with the Allied Shinobi Forces, Naruto! To think what would be said when they realize the conception date suspiciously lands around the day you fought Sasuke! They would undoubtedly think we were working with Akatsuki. It's been done before, but with the Hidden Stone." She eyed him.

"Tell me this wasn't a result of a tryst with Uchiha. Tell me it was someone else," she pleaded, though Naruto knew she had answered her own question long ago. Naruto's face burned. Ashamed, he looked away.

Tsunade cursed. "Not only are you carrying a powerful child, but this child will very likely be born with both the Kyuubi's chakra abilities and likely the Uchiha's Sharingan. The Sharingan is a strong bloodline limit. I can almost be sure that is what will happen. Do you know how dangerous this is?"

Naruto shook his head as he processed it. "It doesn't make sense."

Tsunade's nostrils flared. "How the hell can it not-"

"No deal was made." Naruto explained calmly, and he felt a little more at ease as he thought so. As if, if he explained it, there was no way it could be true. "How could this have happen if a deal wasn't made?" As shocking as the news was, he still wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the thought. Perhaps Tsunade was losing her touch. Maybe she'd made a mistake.

He clung to that.

Tsunade scrutinized him. "Are you sure you weren't placed under some type of genjutsu so you wouldn't remember? Are you under one now? I'm calling in Kakashi!" She seemed so anxious. Naruto squirmed and wrinkled his nose. He was not under some type of genjutsu. Yet he allowed Kakashi to examine him.

"Well?" Tsunade pressed.

Kakashi sighed. "He's in the clear," he assured her. He studied Naruto with an unreadable expression. Naruto crossed his arms, staring back at him, ignoring the heat creeping up the back of his neck from embarrassment.. Tsunade had entrusted her newly gathered information to him. There was silence Naruto couldn't bear, and then Kakashi had to go and open his mouth.

"So Sasuke's the daddy?" He tried to sound light, but Naruto sensed an edge to his voice. Fear?

Naruto rolled his eyes. "No, _I'm_ the daddy, as far as I'm concerned the bastard is not in the picture!" he huffed, face burning when he realized exactly what he had said. Great. It sounded worse said out loud, he quietly despaired. Kakashi looked dubious.

"I still don't believe this!" Naruto cried, throwing his arms in the air. "It sounds ridiculous and stupid!"

Kakashi smiled nervously, running a hand through spiky silver hair, and Tsunade put her face in her hands. "This doesn't get out. Kakashi, Shizune, and I are the only ones entrusted with this information for now. It's too risky, it could put our position with the Alliance in jeopardy. We cannot allow anyone but those involved to realize Naruto's chakra displacement, as it will give them cause for concern. We must hide him, and quickly."

Kakashi nodded in silent agreement. "Where can we hide him so that the Kages will not be suspicious of us bumping up the date? Tsunade, they will take offense. We're supposed to be flanked by ninja from the Hidden Mist and Cloud-"

"I understand, but the man from the Hidden Mist implanted a stolen Byakugan in his left eye, we cannot afford for him to notice anything-"

A sudden idea occurred to Naruto, who'd been sitting there silently, listening through a haze. He shook himself. "Why not send me to the Mount Myoboku? I'm safe in the Toad lands. Have them summon me and use that excuse for my absence. Say I'm being trained. Even you are not in control over when I am summoned there and for how long," Naruto suggested. Tsunade blinked. Sometimes Naruto had sudden strokes of brilliance. Or maybe he was always like that, hiding under his obnoxiousness and boundless energy.

"Yes, that would work…"

"Tsunade, you should converse with Fukasaku, tell him what we have learned. He is wise, and with help from the Great Sage, they might aid us in coming up with a decent plan. Naruto is important to them. Until then, maybe we shouldn't send him there right away. It's only more suspicious. Have him summoned after he goes into hiding, on his way to the rendezvous point with the Cloud.."

Tsunade's brows furrowed. "I can see the sense in that, it helps our image and gives the appearance of also being taken unaware-" Before she could finish, an ANBU officer appeared in a puff of smoke, startling them all.

"Lady Tsunade, Akatsuki members have been spotted in the forest!"

Naruto's eyes widened, and Kakashi had to push him back down, much to Naruto's dismay.

"Stay here, brat!" Tsunade ordered, and Naruto cursed violently.

Tsunade barked out orders. Then she smiled grimly. "I have our reason to send Naruto on the move immediately. I will send a letter."

* * *

><p>For the moment, Naruto was alone in the hospital room while Tsunade and Kakashi argued over the best way to hide Naruto under the noses of suspicious Kages. Mainly the Hidden Cloud and Mist were their concerns.<p>

Gaara, they believed, wouldn't cause a scene. Although Naruto doubted the same could be said for Kankuro and Temari, who seemed more hot-headed than their quiet, observant brother.

He listened to the murmur of their voices, and tried to digest everything that had just happened. The fight with Kiba, the shock of this supposed pregnancy…He wrinkled his nose.

Wow, that sounded so...well...stupid! Him, _pregnant_? No, no, it was wrong on so many levels. He wanted to cry out in frustration, or laugh. The fates must hate him. He had always believed his fate would at one point tangle with Sasuke's, but now it seemed their lives would always be entangled. One night. One freaking night with Sasuke, and he gets _pregnant_. Of fucking course!

Still…

How?

Was this really happening? Casting a quick glance towards the door and noting the silhouettes of the Hokage and his former teacher, Naruto closed his eyes and reached into his mind, determined to find answers from a more _believable_ source.

When he opened his eyes again he was bathed in ruddy orange light. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the dimness of the cell. He waded, knee-deep, through the waters that dripped from the Kyuubi's terrible maw. A dark chuckle bounced off the steel of the prison, echoing eerily, and Naruto hesitated.

The Nine Tails watched him with the hungry eyes of a predator. The demon smiled until Naruto could have counted each tooth, canines pale as bone gleaming like death in the dark. Saliva dripped in long tendrils from his jowls, adding to the pool.

"So you have finally come," the demon rumbled, highly amused. Naruto eyed the Kyuubi warily. He cursed it. _This is the work of the Nine Tails alone. The damn fox_, he realized angrily. He asked one simple question:

"How?"

The Kyuubi laughed. "Stupid, insolent human whelp. Do you think your kind could keep secrets from a being such as I? I'm meant to be free." The whole cavern rumbled and echoed with the word _free_. The Kyuubi laughed, something lethal and predatory.

Naruto glowered at the beast. "You're sealed within me-"

"Fool! I live in the child!"

Naruto inhaled sharply, fearful. Was this child demonic? His hands traveled to his middle, gripped his shirt until he pinched his skin, as if he could claw through and rip it out with his bare hands. Was it true? Did only evil lurk within him? The Nine Tails laughed as if reading his thoughts.

"Go ahead," the Kitsune taunted, gleeful. "Try and cut it out from your belly, I'll stop you."

Naruto felt a tremor course him, a fear, a weakness that made him ill, but he quickly regained his composure. "I will not let you escape!" he snarled. The Kyuubi only laughed. Naruto tried to breathe. Could it be? Was this child just a manifestation of the Kyuubi? Somewhere, a corner of his mind not touched by fear, a thought stood firm. _Look into this deeper before you keep freaking out_. He looked up.

"If you had knowledge of this, why not try it before? Like when you were sealed within a woman? Like my mother. Would have made it a hell of alot easier, don't you think?"

The Nine Tails regarded him. For a moment, Naruto believed the demon would keep its secrets, but it seemed far too amused at the idea of distressing its host.

"I did not know of it. I was visited by a spirit, who graced me with the knowledge. I knew of the pent up desire between you and the Uchiha. It was far too easy to goad you both in that direction. He only needed a little push to act on it." The demon growled as it reflected. "Disgusting humans, your mating rituals sicken me. I had to listen to the sound of your body slapping against his, but when I heard it, I knew I was triumphant."

Naruto flushed, angry and sickened. "This child, will it be a human version of you?" For a moment, the Nine Tails seemed thoughtful, and Naruto wondered if he could take it for doubt.

"What else could it be if it comes from my very soul?" the demon answered.

Naruto frowned, trying desperately to find a loophole. A way around that might free him from carrying yet another monster. "But the child has mine and Sasuke's genetics. That's something you can't give it. It'll have its own mind, not yours," Naruto guessed. The Nine Tails seemed infuriated by the thought.

"No, a part of me will live within it!" it snarled. It quieted in its cell, eyes bright. The demon grinned crookedly, cocking its head.

"Listen," It breathed. Naruto frowned, but closed his eyes and listened. At first, all he could hear was the water rushing past his legs, and the breathing of the demon, but beneath it all, struggling to be heard, was the faintest of thumping sounds. It grew louder as Naruto zoned in on it.

"Your child's heart is forming, Naruto. Soon, the beating cells will beat as one. It lives. _I_ live."

Naruto ignored the comment and zoned in on the life form. There it was, his own chakra wrapped around the developing embryo almost protectively. For a moment, he was awed by the idea of it, but he was also wary of the growing child.

Naruto reached out for it, searching for a malevolence. He was touching _his_ child, he suddenly realized, and the thought left him confused, taken aback, awed. Sasuke's child. _Their_ child. Suddenly it was so real it was overwhelming. It was almost too much. It _was _too much. All at once. He could feel how his body struggled to support it, how the embryo clung to him for sustenance. Yet, he could not feel the Kyuubi's evil.

Yes, its chakra was there, helping create an artificial womb, but he detected nothing frightening. Naruto grinned, and he had hope that the terrible beast he caged would remain imprisoned.

"Yes. You live," Naruto said, coming out of his trance-like state to glare up at Nine Tails. His grin broadened.

"You only live in me."

The Kyuubi snarled, thrashing against the burning steel that confined it. It cursed, howling with rage, trying to fit a claw through the bars in the hopes of gutting its host.

Naruto turned his back to the fox. "You better damn well learn to get used to it, fox, 'cause none of these tricks are going to work. As long as I'm alive, you're stuck here. You want out? You're gonna have to die along with me." He eyed the demon fiercely.

The Kyuubi watched him from the gloom in his prison before saying, "We'll see, whelp. We'll see who's left alive when this is over." Malicious laughter hissed through the Kitsune's teeth, leaving Naruto unsettled, but mostly determined.

"Yeah," he whispered, once again noticing the slight drum of his child's forming heart. It seemed to echo through him until it was all he heard.

"We'll see."


	9. Dark Deeds, Dark Words

_Dark Deeds, Dark Words_

Sasuke stood still under the silent gaze of Madara. He kept his face blank, his eyes angry and crimson. Madara was growing restless. The wait for the full moon kept him anxious, and he was convinced of treachery. The next retrieval attempt was in only a few days, and it was doing a number on the Akatsuki leader. Madara had sent scouts to try and collect intel from the Hidden Leaf. During the melee, one of the scouts had managed to kill an ANBU guard and successfully entered the village under the dead man's guise.

The thought made Sasuke uneasy. The Leaf had not repaired their weak spot in time before the infiltrator had made his move. An Akatsuki member was now in the village, and he doubted anyone had caught on. It was very clever, Sasuke had to admit. Black Zetsu had split from White, and infiltrated the body of the dead nin, spreading through the body like a fungus, and controlling the corpse from the inside and keeping it looking alive. It had been revealed, through the spy, that the ANBU guards were moving Naruto the following week to a safe haven.

"Take a team of no more than five. I want you waiting for him. Wait for the signal from Zetsu. The team will be in a state of chaos. Enter the scene and capture the Nine Tails. Bring him to me unscathed. Crush him all you will, but I want him alive, Sasuke," Madara hissed. Sasuke scowled and nodded. Madara's one eye narrowed and he glared at Sasuke when he did not immediately leave.

"I will make sure he lives," Sasuke said through clenched teeth. Appeased, Madara waved him away. _I will make sure he lives._ He meant it in a way Madara was not aware of. He wasn't Madara's man, and there was no way he was allowing the villain to have his revenge and bring his plans to fruition. _Naruto…_Sasuke pushed the thought away.

He would make sure Naruto lived to see another day. That was it. He couldn't afford to become too invested. Not now. It had become easier as the days slid past to think so. Easier to think he might be able to let it go. He called upon Suigetsu and Juugo, and made sure they were alone.

"Rally up a few more men for our team. Make sure they're green," he added. Nin inexperienced with the team's fighting style were easier to catch unaware and disposed of. Suigetsu flashed him a toothy grin. Picking weaker ones would make the job easier and more to the point, much faster.

"So we're doing it?" Suigetsu asked, his voice laced with excitement. Sasuke nodded.

"We're leaving. I thought it would be better to take Madara down from the inside, but Kabuto's treacherous, and it's better that we're not in the same place. They both need to eliminated." His teammates nodded.

"We'll raise strength on the outside?" Juugo asked.

Sasuke nodded. "We'll learn what we can. In order to understand how to kill Madara, we'll need to understand the Mangekyo further. We need scrolls, information. It wouldn't hurt to scope out intel on Kabuto as well."

"What about Naruto?" Suigetsu asked, smiling wickedly.

Sasuke looked away, irritation spiking his words. "Make sure the Leaf gets him to his hideout. Cause mayhem in our own ranks, kill our team members, and get rid of Zetsu."

"That's a tricky bastard to kill," Suigetsu said with a frown. He reached back for the handle of his blade and gripped it reassuringly.

"If we make it look like we were the ones to have been ambushed, and have the others killed, it will buy us some time," Juugo observed. Sasuke nodded.

"Are we going to trail lover boy?" Suigetsu asked casually. Sasuke flushed angrily. For a few heartbeats he didn't speak.

Finally, he spoke grudgingly. "We're going to have to. Madara already knows the first location the team is stopping at. He'll unleash Kabuto's experiments there. If there are suspicions from the other nin about us not immediately joining the fight, we'll say that we are trailing Naruto and keeping an eye on him, waiting for Madara's move. For the sake of our own lives, we cannot let Madara have Naruto."

Suigetsu scoffed. "Look at him, trying to act the part of unfeeling bastard." He chuckled. "As if this is really about saving our own asses. You know Sasuke, love looks good on you."

"Shut the fuck up, Suigetsu," Sasuke growled, shoving him away.

Suigetsu laughed, raising his arms in surrender."Alright, alright, stop giving me your death glare. Seriously, it scares me."

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "One week." He informed them.

That week came far too quickly.

* * *

><p>The following week, Sasuke headed out with his team. Kabuto had commented on his choices, much to his chagrin.<p>

"I understand why you would gravitate towards your former teammates, but surely a more…_competent _member would add strength to your team. Kisame, perhaps? He has battled the Eight-Tails before-"

"And failed." Sasuke cut him off rudely. Kabuto looked up to Madara, who seemed thoughtful. His one eye slid over the two other members Sasuke had chosen. One was the snake nin, known as Ryota, and the other a former experiment of Orochimaru's named Tomatsu. He supposedly had skin of steel, but Sasuke would show him how easily steel could be cut.

"Do you forget, Sasuke," Madara began softly, "That you have failed to bring me both the Eight Tails and Nine Tails?" He looked down upon Sasuke in the most patronizing way.

"Remove both Ryota and Tomatsu and replace them with Kisame," Madara ordered. Sasuke grit his teeth, but had no other choice but to comply.

"I would also suggest," Kabuto ventured, his voice a triumphant hiss, "That I also accompany the hunting party. I would be of much use-"

"No!" Madara barked out. His eye narrowed. "Your place is tending to the experiments, ensuring that they are ready for their attack on Konoha. Even though we do not need to search it for the Nine Tails after tonight, I still want the village destroyed or at least its morale broken, as it's one of the strongest we have to face. Your place is here."

Sasuke watched them closely. It was apparent that Madara did not trust Kabuto anywhere but at his side. This was good. At least this one thing worked to his advantage. Kabuto couldn't try anything on him.

So Kisame joined the team. Suigetsu fingered his blade and grinned. Sasuke knew the rogue nin had been wanting to sink the teeth of his sword into Kisame's blue flesh for a while now, so the prospect of fighting him no doubt excited Suigetsu. Still, Kisame was a seasoned nin, a veteran of many fights, and ridding themselves of him would not be easy. He had a quick wit, and an even faster bite. The corners of Sasuke's mouth lifted into something that resembled a smirk.

A good fight was always fun, especially if it was as important as this. Sasuke refused to show any weakness regarding Naruto, and tried to tell himself that his mission was solely for the good of his own purpose, so he could take his proper revenge (just how was he supposed to do that if everyone was under Madara's genjutsu?), but he knew it wasn't true. That night with Naruto had changed him, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or resented it. Either way, without Susano'o's evil chakra suffocating him, he was clear-headed, and knew it was time to branch off for his own purpose and defeat the fools that happened to stumble across his path.

They traveled by night, waiting in ambush in a heavily forested area for the team escorting Naruto. Sasuke's heart beat a little faster, though he wouldn't dare admit it was because he might see the blond. He was hoping Naruto wouldn't see him, he had other plans for that…later.

"So what's our formation?" Kisame asked gruffly, leaning against Samehada and picking his teeth with a twig he'd found on the ground. Suigetsu, eager to piss Kisame off, babbled on in a voice that hinted at stupidity.

"_Well_, when we see the team turn around that corner over there-"

"I know the fucking details, brat. Stop wagging that tongue of yours before I rip it out."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes."I'm _so _terrified," he said blandly. Kisame grinned and patted his sword, small golden eyes winking in the moonlight. Sasuke squinted down the road. Still no sign. Perhaps it was time to strike. He met Juugo's gaze out of the corner of his eye and nodded slightly. Kisame was oblivious, becoming angrier and angrier from Suigetsu's taunts by the second. Finally, he whipped out his sword and swiped at the white-haired youth.

Howling with pleasure at the prospect of a good fight, Suigetsu raised his sword and the two clashed. The two swords struggled against each other for a moment, before both fighters whirled away. Kisame raised his heavy sword, but the weight of the sword made Kisame a second slower. Suigetsu noticed this and ducked and jabbed, making Kisame angle away.

"You're making me angry!" Kisame growled, and brought Samehada down in a fearsome arch. Before the blade could kiss Suigetsu's, Sasuke's electricified blade caught Samehada and held it. Kisame's eyes widened at the look of the swirling crimson eyes.

"Let go, Uchiha!" he snarled. Sasuke pushed his weight against his sword and Kisame growled. Sasuke grinned, then whirled away. Before Kisame had time to process the look on Sasuke's face, Juugo rammed into him, grabbing him around the waist. Laughing manically, his body gray and slate-like, orange eyes blazing, he started to crush the shark man. Kisame laughed.

"Is this an ambush?"Grabbing Juugo's head, Kisame hurled him over his shoulder and crashing into a nearby jutting boulder. Juugo screamed in pain, but scrambled back up. Kisame swung Samehada, but Juugo countered it with his arm, which had transformed into something grotesque, scaly, and rock hard. Suigetsu and Sasuke stood back, allowing Juugo to unleash his anger upon Kisame. It was dangerous to get in Juugo's way at this point, and not worth the injury unless their friend seemed to be in mortal danger.

"Oho, this is amusing. Are you going to kill me?" Kisame asked, sharpened teeth glinting as he grinned.

"I'm going to crush you until your eyes pop out of your ugly head!" Juugo screamed, swiping at him. Kisame dodged, and shook his head.

"Sending the madman to do your dirty work? Or is just to tire me out? You're not dumb I see," Kisame taunted, fighting back. Kisame and Juugo clashed once more. Samehada's wrappings fell away, and it gnashed its teeth in glee. Juugo swiped once more, but this time Samehada bit through Juugo's flesh.

"It's going to feast on his chakra-" Suigetsu started to say, somewhat worried and already stepping out to join the fight.

"Wait." Sasuke hissed, looking to the sky. Suigetsu's eyes widened.

"You're not going to let him fight alone?"

"Let them dance. I have a plan." Sasuke assured him, his hands working quickly as he formed signs. Juugo was howling below, but tore the shark sword from his flesh, splattering the ground crimson. Heaving, he charged once more. The right side of Kisame's face had been split open from his temple to his chin, and half his face was slick in blood that looked black in the dark. Kisame roared, and struck again. Juugo feinted, ducked, weaved, popped back up to smash a fist into Kisame's stomach.

"No more games!" Kisame howled, and quickly formed seals. Made uneasy by Juugo's strength, the shark man decided to revisit a technique he'd used on the Eight Tails. In the water, Kisame had the advantage. From a lake nearby, a large wave of water swept over them, encompassing them in a large globe of water. Gills opened on the side of Kisame's neck and he laughed at Juugo, who struggled and sunk.

"You'll drown easily, and then I'll take down your traitor friends." Kisame started to dive, but suddenly lightning flashed in the sky, and Kisame looked up in confusion before his eyes widened. There was a sudden current in the water, for no more than a split second, and Juugo was suddenly being swept away, out of the bubble of water. Suigetsu had manipulated the water in his body in order to create a jet of water that blasted Juugo out of the bubble. Kisame noted the toothy grin of Suigetsu before dragons made lightning hit the water. He had hardly a second to react.

Kisame's scream was drowned in the water as he was electrified by the lightning. For several moments, the dragons wrapped their humming bodies around the body of water. Kisame seized and finally went still. The bubble burst, and Kisame's body washed up on the grass. Juugo was unconscious, back to his original state, and Suigetsu was re-solidifying his body. Sasuke walked over to Kisame, staring into his still open eyes.

"Is he dead?" Suigetsu panted. Sasuke raised his sword, and brought it down, but instead of striking Kisame's body, he struck Samehada. The sword shrieked and writhed and bit as the electrified blade hacked at it. Black blood oozed from its tough, spiked skin.

"What are you doing?!" Suigetsu shrieked, appalled. He had always thought the sword was valuable and had dreamed of plucking it from Kisame as a prize. Sasuke paused.

"Use your sword. It should cut through better than mine." Sasuke stepped aside, waiting for Suigetsu to follow through on the order. Suigetsu scowled. Sasuke lit the sword with lightning as Suigetsu swing his own giant sword, aiming for Samehada's gashes. It easily sliced open. Steam rose from the fried flesh and Suigetsu wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Dammit, this was a fucking fine thing. The things you do for love!" he said with a shake of his head. Sasuke ignored this.

"Make sure it's dead. He's used the sword to escape his fate before, if what I hear is true. He is connected to his sword through his own life force, which is what makes it such a powerful weapon in his hand. As long as it's alive, a part of Kisame lives as well. It's important to ensure he can't come back. If we aren't thorough, Madara will know of our treachery," Sasuke explained. Suigetsu eyed the destroyed sword sadly and muttered under his breath. Something about "not knowing the true value of things".

"Now we wait." Suigetsu said glumly, plopping down on the wet grass. Sasuke nodded. The next attack would be on Black Zetsu, once the ANBU team was spotted. Juugo remained unconscious, and was hidden. Sasuke hid and masked his chakra in the trees, while Suigetsu turned to a small pool to conceal himself. Not long after, the Anbu team was spotted coming through the trees. They had defeated Kisame just in time.

The leader of the team stopped a few hundred yards away from Sasuke's position. He gripped his sword, trying not to look for a familiar blond face. _Stay focused. He doesn't matter, not now. _The signal from Zetsu turned out to be an easy one to spot.

The Anbu seemed to be conversing amongst themselves. Judging by the body language, however, Sasuke realized heated words were being exchanged. Still, he did not see Naruto. Every single member of the team was cloaked and masked. They had masked him to protect his identity, posing him as an Anbu Black Ops, Sasuke guessed.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose. The team leader turned out to be Zetsu, and the mask flew away from his face. The facial features started to twist and twitch, and the skin blackened. It was a grotesque transformation. His teeth elongated, long tendrils of black shadow erupted from his back, squirming. The Anbu guards kicked into gear. Half the team broke off, dispersing into pairs and scattering, and the other half remained to fight.

The long black appendages that had sprouted from Zetsu's back deflected an attack and grabbed the nearest opponent, curling itself around his body and sucking him forward like a frog's tongue would a fly. The rest of the appendages formed something that looked like a black venus fly trap, sucking the ninja into its dark maw. There was a scream, a crunch, and a roar. Zetsu grew stronger.

Calmly, Sasuke studied how Black Zetsu fought. He was a little unsure about Zetsu's techniques, so staying out of sight until he figured it out seemed best. Suigetsu was waiting for his command, but Sasuke knew he would note the paths of any pairs that crossed his path.

Black Zetsu's abilities were quicker, more predatory. With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke noticed that the tips of the black appendages were armed with a formidable, concentrated chakra. Its properties seemed almost poisonous, as the victims it lapped up would suddenly seize and go still. They whipped about with incredible speed, and Black Zetsu dodged many attacks. Sasuke noticed his green eye roaming, slightly confused as to why he had not yet been backed up and joined in this fight.

Sasuke waited for his moment, after deciding how best to proceed. Forming a seal, Sasuke sent a streak of lightning hurtling towards the fighters. The Anbu Black Ops officers saw it coming and broke up, dodging. Black Zetsu hissed and bounded away.

"Sasuke?" The deep voice drawled. Sasuke bounded into view, and the Anbu Black Ops officers shouted and stood ready to fight. Zetsu chuckled darkly, believing his opponents' cause to be lost.

"Where are the others?" he rumbled.

"Tracking the scattered ANBU." Sasuke informed him. One officer's element appeared to be earth, and tried crushing Sasuke in a cage of rock. He easily dodged it and allowed Zetsu to become distracted by fighting. No more than two minutes into the fight, Zetsu paused.

His green eye grew wide, and the tentacle like black appendages began to rattle and squirm desperately, as if trying to cling on to something. He clawed at his mouth and throat. Sasuke grinned.

Only then did Zetsu realize he had been under the influence of Sasuke's genjutsu. He had made the mistake of looking Sasuke in the eye when the Uchiha had joined in. He had continued to fight until he realized he could no longer breathe…

Zetsu had been fighting illusions while encased in water. Sasuke allowed himself a triumphant smirk. By unleashing his own unique technique, Kisame had taught Suigetsu a rather interesting way to manipulate the water. The remaining Anbu Black Ops officers were also caught in separate illusions, but otherwise unharmed. Suigetsu had used his aquatic powers to encase Zetsu once the Akatsuki member was cast under the genjutsu. Zetsu glared murderously at Sasuke from inside his watery prison. He flailed and tried hitting the water with his black tentacles, but the surface only rippled. Sasuke winced, hoping Suigetsu wouldn't take too much of a beating.

Finally Zetsu stopped flailing and hung still, suspended in the water. The bubble broke, and Suigetsu didn't immediately solidify. Sasuke didn't waste time. When Suigetsu had completely disentangled himself, Sasuke activated Amaterasu.

He watched Black Zetsu burn, wondering what would now become of his other half.

Suigetsu reformed slowly, gasping and pale as the underbelly of a fish. He was shaking, Sasuke realized.

"The chakra in those tentacles threatened to kill me." Suigetsu hissed, voice slightly wavering. "It _could_ have killed me!" He continued to complain.

Sasuke sighed. "It didn't."

Suigetsu rolled his large purple eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to find Juugo. Then we'll put on our…_disguises_ and head for this village." At the word 'disguise' a wicked grin stretched across Suigetsu's mouth, despite his weariness and pain. Sasuke scowled.

* * *

><p>Naruto's heart was in his throat as he bounded through the trees behind Takumi, the ANBU guard that had watched over him nightly in the village. The Leaf had been betrayed, and the whole team moved in deadly silence at the news, but they didn't stop, not for anything. An important mission was at hand.<p>

A week had passed since the discovery of his pregnancy, and Tsunade had been at wit's end over what to do. But the morning he was scheduled to leave, she informed Naruto of her decision.

"I have a good friend where I'm sending you. She's well-seasoned in her field and has seen many things. I have trusted her with medical mysteries and rare discoveries and she has never once betrayed my trust. She also studied this matter with me." Naruto listened, nodding, wondering where she was going.

"I do not think I have the abilities to do what we have to." She informed him. Naruto raised an eyebrow. He noticed she looked defeated. The way she was looking at him…it unnerved him, like she was apologizing with her eyes.

"To do what?" Naruto wanted to know.

Tsunade sighed. "I think Aoi will have better luck at reaching the embryo. She had dealt with strong and formidable chakras before…in fact, she was the midwife that delivered _you."_ She smiled thinly.

"She knew how to combat the Kyuubi's chakra so it would do no harm while she helped you mother birth you. Your father stood over them to work his magic on her seal should it weaken too much. You know what happens to a Jinchuurikis seal during childbirth?"

Naruto shook his head.

"The seal weakens," Tsunade informed him. "It took a skilled medical team and some highly skilled ninja to deliver you." Naruto's eyes widened. Tsunade rubbed at her eyes.

"I'm beating around the bush," she muttered. She looked him straight in the eye. "Aoi will see you once you enter the village. The next morning, she will perform your abortion."

Naruto froze. He blinked. Finally, he found his voice.

_Go ahead, try and cut it from your belly, I will stop you. _The Kyuubi's voice rumbled in memory.

"The Nine Tails won't let you. You can't touch it. It won't end well." Naruto found himself saying hotly. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the anger coloring his voice.

"It didn't want us to seal it either, but where is it now?" she asked pointedly.

Naruto glared. "It's my body. You couldn't advise me about this _before_ making me deal with it?" he growled.

Tsunade winced. "It's not worth the risk."

Naruto struggled to contain himself. He remembered what it had felt like…his child. He remembered how it had clung to him. He had found himself awake many nights, thinking of it, remembering what it sounded like.

_I always wanted someone to hold me, to protect me when I was small. _He found himself thinking of his days spent as an orphan, alone and miserable, and it had pained him after a while. He would wake some mornings with his hand splayed across his flat belly, as if comforting the unborn life within. It was hard to believe each day that passed…but he couldn't forget what it had felt like…his child's life nestled in his body. A tiny heartbeat, cradled by his own flesh and blood.

Maybe if he had continued to remain apprehensive and unsure about it, the decision would have been a lot easier to handle. Maybe if he hadn't thought of himself as a child and how he would have loved a parent to cherish and hold and protect him, he would have readily agreed to Tsunade's suggestion without hesitation.

"No," Naruto had said. Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"Naruto, it's too dangerous-"

"It's my own flesh and blood!"

"You're barely seventeen! You know nothing of parenting! This child will not only risk our position in this war, but your safety-"

"Like you know what it's like to raise a child?" Naruto had shot back. It hadn't been a fair thing to say.

Tsunade colored and rose. "It's hardly a life yet, and if you allow it to grow, you'll only give Madara access to a lethal weapon. Did you forget what your childhood was like? Would you wish it on your own?"

Naruto had taken a step back, wounded, looking as if Tsunade had slapped him.

"You're a ninja to your village first. This is what's best for you. This is what's best for your village." she finished curtly. That had been the end of it.

Naruto had refused to speak to Tsunade at all unless necessary after that. The war had further hardened her, and she saw no reason for Naruto to have this attachment if it meant risk. He left with a heavy heart, a sick feeling in his gut.

_Was it really for the best?_ He felt sick again at the thought of it. His stomach churned, and he stopped suddenly. Takumi halted, looking back at him, face hidden behind his ivory bird mask. Naruto turned, lifted his dog mask, knelt, and vomited over the branch he was perched on. Takumi waited, scanning their surroundings, on the alert and ready for a fight.

When he was done, Takumi was pulling him by the hand, although his touch was gentle, understanding. Naruto decided he liked the man, even if he didn't say much. They bounded through the trees, and finally the small village came into view another two hours later.

A large wooden gate had been erected in front of the village. Waiting by its entrance were the remaining ANBU groups and two beautiful women draped in green cloaks that looked gray in the dark; one with raven hair that cascaded down her back, and another with white hair and large purple eyes.

Through the eye holes in his dog mask, Naruto noticed the two women whisper to another, and the beautiful raven-haired woman looked back at him with glittering obsidian eyes, and smiled in greeting. Naruto's breath caught.

Those eyes…

He didn't dwell on the thought. Ninja appeared and allowed the ANBU entrance. They paused to question the two women. Naruto stole a glance back and saw them admitted, although warily. The white haired woman flirted a little obviously, and batted her pretty purple eyes. The raven spoke few words and didn't smile. Takumi patted Naruto's shoulder, distracting him from the women, instructing him to keep moving forward. SoNaruto looked away from the women and forgot them.

But those eyes. Black as obsidian…had seemed so familiar…

The thought made his stomach twist and his heart flutter. He tried not to think about it. Tried not to dwell on similar dark eyes. Nearly a month had gone by, and Naruto was finally beginning to think that he might be able to overcome the sadness thoughts of Sasuke left.

They arrived at an inn and Naruto was grateful for warm food and a cold drink. Some of the ANBU guard were still shaken about the betrayal, and were reporting to Tsunade with summons. Takumi sat down by Naruto in the cafe and ordered barbecued beef, vegetables, and rice. Water for Naruto, and a glass of sake for himself, which he downed quickly.

As he was eating, Naruto felt eyes on him. He stilled, and glanced about. Sure enough, the two women were seated in a corner, speaking quietly and eating. Naruto noticed Takumi glance at them. He didn't dare voice his thoughts.

"I suppose the inns are full," Takumi observed, yet Naruto could hear the frown in his voice.

The women never did look at Naruto directly though, and Naruto kept eating. Later, when he was curled up in bed, thinking about a familiar face, a soft knock came to his door. Naruto's heart beat a little faster. He didn't move from the be. Instead, waited for a second knock, this one more hesitant and quiet.

He rose, and padded across the room, opening the door a crack. There, bathed in moonlight, was the raven-haired woman, cloaked and glancing down the halls. Naruto looked at her warily.

"Who are you?" He asked, fearing the answer.

"Let me in," she whispered, eyes glittering.

Naruto fidgeted, frowning."Am I supposed to trust you just like that?" he growled. She smiled, showing straight pearly teeth.

"You've trusted me before." Her voice dropped, low and husky, and she placed a white hand on the door. Naruto felt heat snake up his neck. Those eyes…

"What the _fuck _are you doing here, Sasuke?" Naruto snapped, heart beating way too fast. For a moment, he only wanted to punch Sasuke, beat him to a bloody pulp, but it was strangely hard to want to do when Sasuke was a beautiful woman.

"They'll catch you," Naruto hissed through the crack in the door.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "My chakra signature is concealed, and I fooled them with a clone. Need I remind you I fooled them before in Konoha just as easily? Now let me in, idiot, before they realize I'm here," Sasuke hissed. Not knowing why he did it, Naruto grudgingly stepped aside, but left the door open still only a crack. Rolling his eyes again, Sasuke pushed through the door, closed it, and threw off his cloak. He was wearing a simple white tunic and a dark lavender skirt. Naruto took this image in and suddenly snorted, swallowing gales of laughter. Sasuke glared at him.

"And to think you used to tell me it was a stupid jutsu!" Naruto wheezed through laughs.

"You're annoying as ever," Sasuke muttered, and suddenly he was across the room and in Naruto's arms, lips against his possessively. Naruto was too stunned, too engrossed, to move away. He pulled away panting after a bit. He reached up to squeeze a fake breast.

"Are you going to lose the disguise?" Naruto asked lowly, nipping at Sasuke's ear as he whispered. Sasuke practically purred, but then he pounced, throwing Naruto on the bed and perching on top of him, grinning. The jutsu wavered returning Sasuke's masculine features returned and making the breasts disappear. His hair shortened and became spiky again.

"Yes, but if anyone comes knocking at your door, it better be a woman in your bed and not me." Sasuke kissed him, and Naruto reached up, entangling his fingers in that black hair. He felt Sasuke stiffen on his thigh, felt himself harden in return, and suddenly he pushed Sasuke off. Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily, but he waited.

"You left me," Naruto growled dangerously. "You left me and went back to Madara-"

"Madara can fuck himself for all I care." Sasuke interrupted, black eyes flashing. "I'm not his man."

Naruto laughed hollowly. "You _left_ me," he repeated.

Sasuke frowned. "I had to. If I was going to bring Madara down on the inside-" Naruto raised a hand to stop him.

"Bastard, do you have any idea what I've been going through?" Naruto snarled. He reached for a pillow and pummeled Sasuke in the face with it. Sasuke let him.

"I figured as much," Sasuke said dryly. Naruto glared daggers at him. He wanted to punch Sasuke, beat him bloody, he wanted to kiss him, make love to him, all at once. It was confusing. Going a month without seeing the person you were crazy about after they left you to wake up alone did that to people, Naruto guessed.

"I've been waiting to see you. Do you know the trouble I went through to get here?" Sasuke sounded irritated.

"You haven't left the Akatsuki," Naruto observed.

Sasuke shook his head."I've gotten rid of Kisame, and half of Zetsu." He smirked. "Madara and Kabuto are next."

Naruto blinked, surprised."Kabuto-!?"

"Later," Sasuke promised and pushed Naruto down to straddle him.

Naruto shook his head. "Do you think I'm that easy?"

Sasuke chuckled and squeezed his straining member. "Your body says otherwise." Naruto swallowed, blinked away tears of frustration and rammed his palms in his eyes.

"For so many years, you've been my goal. The one person I couldn't bear to lose, and now you do _this_ to me," he said helplessly. Sasuke said nothing for a moment.

"Once," he said quietly. "I thought you were the one person I had to kill."

"Wow, that really makes me feel special, Sasuke," Naruto said sarcastically. Sasuke frowned.

"Don't be a dumbass. It was because you were the one person who was in my way of what I thought was perfection." He bent lower, lips brushing close to Naruto's, who blushed.

"You were my only obstacle, my only flaw." Sasuke admitted in a husky voice. They heard footsteps in the hall, and Sasuke quickly returned to female-Sasuke in a _poof_. The door was thrust open and Sasuke acted his part well. He uttered a girly squeal and hid under the covers. Takumi quickly slammed the door closed.

"Naruto!"

Naruto blushed crimson."She won't be any trouble!" he called.

"I don't think-" Takumi began, but Naruto took a breath, throwing a sly grin at Sasuke.

"I already paid!" he called. Sasuke punched him hard in the arm, and growled. Naruto bit back a laugh. There was a silence.

"Well…" Takumi seemed at a loss for words. "I'll be outside." the ANBU guard said awkwardly. Naruto covered his mouth, laughing until his ribs ached, while Sasuke smacked him with the pillow. Naruto raised his hands in surrender.

"Ouch, dammit, stop! C'mon! That was too fucking funny!" Naruto cried. Sasuke's lips curled up into the smallest hint of a smile. Naruto looked at him. They studied each other in the dark.

"Are you sure you want to risk being here? You could leave and-"

"I'm not leaving," Sasuke interrupted.

Naruto grinned. "In case you've forgotten," he said, tugging at his shirt slowly, "You're a criminal wanted world-wide."

"As if they'll catch me."

"I caught you," Naruto whispered as he parted Sasuke's shirt to reveal the creamy chest beneath. Sasuke allowed himself a laugh.

"You couldn't catch me if your life depended on it," he challenged. Naruto pushed him down, so he was straddling Sasuke. If he didn't know any better, he would say Sasuke actually blushed, but it was hard to tell in the dark. Naruto's blue eyes gleamed, and he grinned.

"So, if you're the woman, does that mean I get to be on top this time?" Naruto grinned wickedly. Sasuke's breath caught, but then he smirked.

"Only if you catch me." he said with a chuckle. They kissed, wrestled for dominance. In that moment, the war was forgotten, Tsunade's orders were forgotten. It was only Naruto and Sasuke. Sasuke's lips against his own was a thrill he'd never felt with Sakura, and he was more amped up than he cared to admit.

They made love twice. It was slower, more considerate, the first time. Sasuke's first thrusts were almost gentle, and Naruto had to cover his face with a pillow to stifle his moans. The second time, Naruto succeeded in pinning Sasuke, although in the back of his mind, he was certain the Uchiha had let him win. He felt awkward about it at first, but it was pure bliss, and he collapsed on top of Sasuke in a heap.

Their chests heaved with the effort to breathe, hearts ramming against their ribs. Naruto could feel Sasuke's heart through his chest as they lay together, and he thought _it's almost as if it's the same heart. _He looked up at Sasuke.

"What now? I thought you aimed to kill the entire village? Purify the Uchiha name by killing all who remembered them." His voice dripped with sarcasm. Sasuke looked away, scowling. Under the influence of Susano'o, he hadn't been very conscious of what bloodshed he sought, only that he wanted it. With his mind clear he realized, shamefacedly, that he had been weak in allowing the Mangekyo demon's power to overtake him and sway him from his goal of true justice. He wasn't bringing forth justice, only mindless slaughter.

Sasuke had never truly considered himself a villain, only an avenger, a seeker of justice. He might be considered callous at times, seemingly cold and uncaring, but unfortunately for him, he wasn't made of stone, or ice, for that matter. Without the evil of Susano'o, he couldn't say he wanted every villager to die for Itachi's sacrifice. No, the only blood that would stain the earth would be those who had schemed against his clan.

He looked Naruto in the eye. "I only want the Elders who ordered Itachi's mission." Naruto said nothing to that, and they lay in silence, bathed in shadow, wrapped around each other. Each trying to forget the fights that awaited them.

Naruto dozed off twice, each time waking with a frantically beating heart and reaching out for a body next to him. Each time, he wasn't disappointed. The second time he woke, Sasuke wordlessly reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Go to sleep," he ordered in a slightly irritated voice, but there was no real edge to it. Naruto blinked, looking at their entwined fingers. He slept.

He woke again as the sun began to lighten the horizon, where it gleamed pink and orange, washing the rest of the sky a dark purple while a few stars struggled to keep shining against the oncoming light. Naruto wondered why he woke so much, then he remembered as his stomach roiled. A wave of nausea came upon him again, and he gently rose from the bed and padded softly to the bathroom. He'd tried to be quiet, he really had, but nothing escaped Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, black hair tousled in just the right way. He narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?" he demanded. Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and flushed the toilet.

"Nothing...just...it's nothing," he muttered, brushing his teeth. Sasuke raised a thin black eyebrow.

"You're sick."

"No shit," Naruto quipped.

Sasuke scowled. "Don't be an idiot."

"I told you, it's-" But the toothbrush was making him gag again, and he was dry heaving in the sink. He didn't even notice Sasuke cross over and rub his back in soothing circles. By the time he was finished, he didn't want to raise his head from the sink. He'd squeezed his eyes shut, afraid that if opened them, tears might fall, and maybe they wouldn't stop. Sasuke said nothing, only waited as Naruto gulped down a couple of shaky breaths. Not able to help himself, Naruto turned and rested his head on Sasuke's bare chest.

"I'm not sure how to do this." he whispered so quietly Sasuke had to strain to hear.

"Do what, _dobe_?" Sasuke asked, but then there was a knock on the door, and Sasuke was a woman again and quickly jumped in the shower. Takumi stood in the room.

"Naruto, tell your _friend _she's to leave. Prostitutes are illegal here, and I will have her arrested if she isn't gone within the next five minutes."

Naruto only nodded, too tired to argue.

"Get dressed, your appointment is in an hour, and we have the consult with the doctor first." Takumi left in a puff of smoke and Naruto slumped over the sink again, half-heartedly attempting to finish brushing his teeth.

"What the hell is going on?" Sasuke hissed from the shower. Naruto glared up at him through the mirror. He shook his head, rinsing his mouth out.

"You know, I really didn't want it to have to be like this-" and he really hadn't. A small part of him had hoped Sasuke would never have to know. He faltered. How did he even _begin _to say something like this? He shook his head, unable to form the words.

"Get on with it, _dobe,_ before he comes back and I'm still here. What's going on with you?"

Naruto sighed and didn't meet his eyes. For several long seconds, he only gripped the sink and thought too hard about his next words before blurting,"I'mgettinganabortion."

World vomit, he thought with an embarrassed groan. Awesome.

Sasuke frowned, trying to make sense of what had just been said. "_What_?"

Naruto made an aggravated sound, building it in his throat like an irritated growl. "An abortion!" He hissed, feeling smaller and stupider by the second as it rolled off his tongue. At the look on Sasuke's face, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Fuck it, you know what, forget I said anything." He marched back to the bed, determined to get it all said and done as painlessly as possible (in other words, hold it in until the stomach ache eventually went away) when Sasuke hopped out of the shower, following him closely.

"What the hell are you talking about?"he hissed, grabbing Naruto by the shoulder and whirling him around. The look on his face, one of sheer incredulity, made Naruto pause.

He sighed. "It's true, and I know it's hard to believe," he muttered feebly. Sasuke blinked, then took a step back, face pale with anger.

"No. No, no," he barked out a disbelieving laugh, a scornful one, like someone who had just discovered they'd been cheated. "That can't be. Did you make a deal with someone? Is that what you did?" Sasuke looked angry, frantic. Naruto looked up at him, so surprised that Sasuke even knew it was possible, that it took him a moment to realize that Sasuke believed he had had sex with another after making a deal. Naruto looked into his eyes, a fierce glow brightening his blue eyes.

"It's yours, asshole," he ground out. Sasuke inhaled sharply, turned around, grabbed his clothes and hastily dressed.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, voice choked.

"That doesn't make sense." He watched Sasuke meticulously gather his clothes and dress. He was a man on a mission, someone who wanted out.

"The Nine Tails was behind it-" Naruto tried to explain.

"Get rid of it," Sasuke hissed, already preparing to leap through a window.

Naruto paused, momentarily stunned by Sasuke's apathy. He tried to wrap his head around it. "What-?"

"Go ahead with it, get the abortion," Sasuke advised.

Naruto's breath caught in his throat. He paled. He knew what was ahead. He didn't want to be reminded of it. He hadn't thought-his thoughts skidded over one another. He hadn't thought of, or even tried to imagine before, how Sasuke would react. Now that he was reacting, Naruto wasn't sure what he'd been expecting in the first place. He felt a little dumbstruck.

"Naruto, it's just a demon-" Sasuke tried to reason with him, assure him, but Naruto held up his hand as if to silence him.

"Don't you have anything to say about it? It's your kid, too!" he hissed. Sasuke's mouth was a thin, hard line and his eyes were smoldering.

"It'll only end up being Madara's pawn. Don't be stupid." With that, Sasuke vanished, leaping away, just as Naruto hurled a kunai at the window. It missed. Naturally.

Naruto wondered if he'd actually wanted it to nick the bastard as he stood, alone and despondent in the bedroom. It was happening again. He left alone to process it all, try to absorb it. Sasuke was leaving him alone to shoulder the consequences, _again. _ Then Takumi was knocking on the door, and Naruto walked to the door, numb.

* * *

><p>Sasuke ran through the streets, not seeing any of the villagers. He was blind to the early morning. He found Suigetsu sipping coffee with a ninja in a nearby café, giggling at the ninja's lame punchlines like a schoolgirl looking for a little action. He pulled him away, much to the dismay of the ninja, and Suigetsu's stomach. Suigetsu cursed.<p>

"The fuck, man! He was going to buy me breakfast! I had to cozy up to that creep!" Suigetsu pouted. He stopped at the look on Sasuke's face. Sasuke didn't care to hide his anger, his disbelief, the feeling of dismay that coursed though his system. The countless _how's _piercing his thoughts. The demon, he knew, and he quietly raged at the injustice of it all. It had known all along. No peace could be had. Not now.

"Did you see him?" Suigetsu's voice wormed into thoughts uninvited.

"Yes." Sasuke snapped. He sidestepped a group of merchants, barely aware of their irritated curses flung his way. "Watch the road, woman!" one of the older ones cried. Sasuke flipped him off, much to their horror. How unladylike, how rude! they complained. Sasuke noticed Suigetsu beside him, watching him like he was someone to be worried over.

"Was it worth it?" he asked, catching up.

Sasuke paused to look Suigetsu in the eye. When his teammate's eye contact wavered, Sasuke clenched his fists."Yes," he bit out.

Suigetsu studied him."What's wrong, then?"

Sasuke looked away. "Later. We're leaving. Let's go get Juugo." Juugo had found a series of caves that honeycombed through the cliffs outside the village. He had decided it was better if he recuperated there alone. He didn't trust himself with the villagers.

"Just like that? We're leaving? What about the plan?" Suigetsu hissed.

"We'll come up with a new one," Sasuke deadpanned. He focused on the road ahead.

"On such short notice? What's that faceless bastard gonna say when we're not even pretending to trail his prey?"

"We'll come up with something-"

Suigetsu whirled Sasuke around, much to his irritation. He swatted Suigetsu away with a venomous "get off me".

"This isn't like you. Think clearly before I slap you!" Suigetsu warned.

Sasuke looked to the sky, to the kiosks littering the roadside, to a dirty old beggar asking for coins, to a woman pushing a pram. Sasuke shook his head. "He's pregnant." he said with a derisive snort and a shake of his head. Suigetsu's brows furrowed. He looked lost, and Sasuke didn't blame him.

"What-?"

"Pregnant." Sasuke repeated. "It's mine. Kabuto's story was true, only the demon was one step of everyone. It wants out…" Sasuke trailed, suddenly feeling bone-tired and strangely sad. Suigetsu gaped at him.

"Wow," was all Suigetsu managed to say.

Sasuke shook his head. "He's being forced to abort. It's better, safer for him, that way."

Suigetsu blinked. "How do you feel about that?" The question took Sasuke off guard. He had been trying not to think about it.

"It's for the best. From the sounds of it, such a child is dangerous. Naruto will be worse off should he go through with it. He can't fight, not like that-"

"Why do you sound like that? Did he want it or something?" Suigetsu asked.

Sasuke scowled. "It doesn't matter if he did. I told him to go through with it, anyway. He's...not happy with me," Sasuke said quietly. Suigetsu said nothing.

"It's for the best." Sasuke repeated. "If Madara ever found Naruto and captured him…" He clenched his fists, culling the thought. "No, Naruto shouldn't go through that pain. The child shouldn't either. It should be spared the life of a demon."

"You don't know it is a demon." Suigetsu said as they weaved through alleys. Sasuke looked at him, angry.

"It will have powers-"

"_Think_ about it. The kid is human at the core. It must have your genetics, and Naruto's. A demon doesn't have that kind of material. It has its own soul then, doesn't it?"

Sasuke said nothing, so Suigetsu plowed on. "Does that mean Naruto should have been spared the misery of being a Jinchuuriki?" Sasuke punched him for that, but Suigetsu let him. He spat.

"Ugh, I forgot what it felt like to be punched by you," he groaned. "Fuck that stings."

Sasuke ignored him. "It's for the best," he repeated, but his feet didn't carry him forward. He made the mistake of looking back, just this once, and suddenly he was gone, leaving Suigetsu alone in the alley. Suigetsu smirked and wiped his mouth, looking at his womanly reflection in a barrel of water. He needed to return to the ninja presentable if he wanted his free breakfast.

So Sasuke did have a heart after all.

Who would have known?


	10. Bitter Foes

_Bitter Foes_

Two hours after flinging a kunai at Sasuke, Naruto was sitting in the small, circular office of Aoi Nakamura. He was slumped in his chair, glaring at the floor, blinking fast. Sitting in the waiting room with Takumi had been torture, as the ANBU guard kept stealing glances at the forlorn youth, awkwardly patting his shoulder every now and then. It hadn't made him feel any better. Naruto had sat there with his elbows on his knees, face in his hands. He hadn't looked up until his name was called.

Aoi Nakamura was a small, plump woman with rosy cheeks and hair so tightly curled it almost looked unnatural. The office was painted in a lively spring green with a plush cream carpet, decorated with rich oil paintings of the current Fire Lord, children, and Fire Country landscapes. A bonsai tree was the only decoration adorning her gleaming mahogany desk. The little woman beamed at him, and Naruto looked at her sullenly, wishing she would stop _smiling _at him like that. He randomly thought of Sai, smiling at Sakura and only irritating her further. The memory made him smile a little, until he realized he hadn't seen Sai in a very long time. Nakamura pretended she didn't notice her patient's sadness.

"Tsunade has told me much about you, Mr. Uzumaki. Yes, a most wonderful and brave hero!" she praised in a high voice. "I had my hopes for you when you were born." She beamed again, as if hoping her cheerfulness would rub off on her melancholy patient. Naruto said nothing, only nodded. Her smile cracked a little wider.

"Naruto, dear," she began, a little falteringly, then hopped off her seat and strode over to him. She was quite short, being able to look into his eyes while he was seated. She took his hand in her very small one, sausage fingers curling around his tanned hand. Naruto grimaced.

"I understand this must be a…_trying _time for you." She attempted a very soothing tone and patted his hand, but instead she only succeeded in sounding like the Academy nurse saying it was only a scratch after a kid had broken a bone. Naruto took a breath and politely accepted her kindness with a mumbled, "thanks". She patted his hand again and opened her mouth to talk more about how he was feeling, but he interrupted her.

"Please, just get it done with," he said quietly, looking fierce. Nakamura blinked, then bobbed her head, returning to her desk.

"Very well, we'll skip onto the procedure. I'll need to explain it to you-"

"Don't. Please, " Naruto sighed, looking away, feeling embarrassed to realize tears threatened to spill. He _really_ didn't want to cry in front of this woman. The doctor cracked another wide, nervous smile.

"As you wish." She scribbled away on a sheet of paper. She glanced up at him again, seeming to go back and forth with a thought before deciding to go through with it. She smiled her nurse smile again, knotting her fingers under her chin.

"Naruto, _dear,_ if you wouldn't mind, I would be simply _thrilled _if you would allow me to examine you and perform an ultrasound prior to the procedure for…educational means. This is such a rare occurrence, I'd be honored if you would let me jot down a few notes. Imagine the doors you would open for anyone else in your position in the future."

Naruto did his best to contain his anger. _The kid is nothing but an experiment to her._ He thought bitterly. _As am I. She's eager for information._ It was true, the good doctor was practically squirming in her seat in her excitement at the idea of getting her hands on Naruto.

Naruto tried to smile at her. "I'd prefer it if you did only what was asked of you."

The smile froze on Aoi's chubby face. She blinked, trying to keep it plastered on. "Very well, but it would have been _very _beneficial," she said breezily, containing her disappointment. She hopped off of her leather chair once more, opening the door for him.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?" she asked brightly. Naruto cocked an eyebrow at her enthusiasm, and honestly, it only made him feel worse. He noticed Takumi watching him from the hall and exhaled, rising to follow, feeling like a block of lead had settled in his stomach. Each step he took made him want to bolt, and his stomach began to ache with the thought.

As he exited the office, a siren pealed. Naruto froze, the doctor paled, and the ANBU guards quickly flanked Naruto, much to his annoyance. _I'm pregnant not defenseless!_

"Oh dear! Oh my gods!" The doctor was trying her best not to hyperventilate.

"What is it? What''s going on?" Naruto demanded. The clinic had been peaceful and quiet when he'd first arrived, now people were running about, some were fleeing out the door, some nurses were ushering people away shouting something about "a safe place" and "this isn't a drill".

"The village has been untouched by war as of yet, but it seems today marks the day we are no longer on the side lines." The doctor clutched at her chest, breathing raggedly. An ANBU guard tuned in to his headset and nodded at Takumi.

"Akatsuki members at the gate!" the voice on the headset relayed.

Takumi bristled. "Damn it-!"

"They have an army, sir," an ANBU agent had rounded the corner, looking for them.

Naruto looked at Takumi, itching for a fight.

"Army?" Naruto asked.

The masked ANBU agent looked at him. "Old experiments of Orochimaru's are swarming the walls. It's not a pretty sight."

Naruto's eyes widened. Then they were running, leaving Doctor Nakamura to hyperventilate and find her own safe place. Naruto donned his mask hurriedly, not putting up his hood, so his golden hair sprouted from behind the mask.

The fighting had not yet reached the inside of the village, yet already there were screams, crying children, shrieking mothers, and bleeding nin being rushed through the streets to the hospital. One man was being dragged to the hospital by two friends and stopped to yell at the ANBU.

"They're monsters!" he cried, holding his belly, which bled profusely. "They feel no pain, they keep coming. What sort of evil did you bring to our village?" He gave a shuddering sob and fell unconscious. Without a word, his comrades continued to carry him to their destination. Naruto thought of Sasuke, and grew restless with anger.

_Did he know about this?_ He remembered how well Sasuke had acted his part with the guards last night…he shook his head. He couldn't think of that, not now. He still wasn't sure he would be able to forgive Sasuke for that morning…but in his heart, he knew he couldn't despise him forever.

"You aren't scheduled to leave for the toads' lands for three more days. Summon one to get you now!" Takumi shouted, cursing their ill luck. After the betrayal that had occurred the previous night, the date for Naruto to be summoned to the toads had been bumped up, in fear that the enemy now knew where he resided. Ninja guarding the town had been doubled, but it hadn't been enough. They couldn't have anticipated such large numbers of curse marked rogues. Naruto nodded, eyes darting to the village's defensive gate.

Then the unnatural warriors were scaling the wooden gate and sliding down into the village. They slaughtered ruthlessly as they went, cutting easily through men, even women and some children. The sight boiled Naruto's blood. He was supposed to go hide in a corner and get himself to safety while others perished by wicked beasts?

He didn't think so. He suddenly split from Takumi so fast the guard had to look back twice to realize he was alone. Naruto was running, forming clones, and sent a rasengan through the belly of a hysterical creature half man, half beast. It laughed as its entrails dragged along the dirt, picked them up and tried placing them back in its abdomen. Naruto felt like being sick, but instead, he kicked the creature over the head and slashed at its throat with a kunai as it staggered. It fell then, choking on blood. Disgusted, Naruto turned to face another opponent. He saved a woman from being raped by a bloodthirsty lizard man with slits for nostrils. He protected a ninja from death and felled the creature before it could stab him in the gut with strange stingers protruding from its elbows, sharp as needles. That had terrified him. For a moment, Naruto remembered his child and struggled to protect himself.

The fear he felt had left him strangely out of breath. He had almost been caught unaware. It irked him, but mostly, it scared him. Another creature was spouting chakra cannons from its mouth. Naruto had stumbled across it path as a chakra bomb was released. Time seemed to slow as he jumped up to run out of the way, but in the last possible moment, a figure shot across, grabbing Naruto and pulling him along.

"_Dobe__, _are you trying to kill yourself?"

Naruto looked up into a familiar face, still hiding behind feminine features. He bristled. "Like you care-" he started hotly, but Sasuke was pulling on his wrist, dragging him down an alley choked with fleeing villagers.

Naruto grabbed him in a vice-like grip and slammed Sasuke back against a brick wall of a shop, oblivious to the frightened stares of people who ran past.

"You knew about this!" Naruto accused.

Sasuke's face remained impassive. "No. Madara was supposed to keep them in their cells until tonight. They weren't supposed to attack this village."

"You knew!" Naruto snarled.

Sasuke's mouth twitched. Naruto couldn't tell what he was thinking."They weren't going to get to you-"

Naruto laughed bitterly."Oh, were you going to save _me_?" he jeered. "What about _everyone else?" _

Sasuke frowned. "You never seem to be able to save yourself." He hissed, wrenching free, "And each village comes equipped with its own nin."

Naruto glared at him. "I don't need to be saved by you." he growled, "And there are people here right _now _who need a helping hand to get out of here because they weren't warned."

Sasuke stared back at him with such an intensity that Naruto felt his cheeks flame. "If you don't _need _to be saved, then why am I always saving you?" he asked quietly. Naruto glared daggers at the young man he'd just recently shared his bed and laughed with. Sasuke flew at him suddenly, and Naruto struggled for a second, only to realize he was being shielded. A chakra bomb burst through the alley a hundred feet away and debris was flung dangerously towards them. They ran.

"Did you do it?" Sasuke panted as they fled.

The words made Naruto angrier. "Would you like me to say yes?"

Wood splintered against Sasuke's shoulders as a building a few hundred feet away exploded. He shielded Naruto on instinct, oblivious to his protests, and looked Naruto in the eye with glittering obsidian eyes.

"No," was all he said, his face still unreadable. Naruto only grunted in response.

"They'll be looking for me," Naruto panted. Sasuke stopped running suddenly and let go of Naruto's wrist. For a moment, Naruto was thrown off guard. Amidst the chaos, they stood facing each other as the sea of fleeing villagers split past them.

"Let them find you then, if that is what you want," Sasuke said. Naruto blinked at him, feeling oddly hurt. He flexed his wrist. Sasuke's emotions were well concealed in his facial features, but Naruto had begun to realize that his eyes were never very good at concealing what he was feeling, if you knew how to read them right.

Sasuke's eyes were sparking like flint, and Naruto knew he was angry. An apartment building collapsed, leaving behind a mushroom cloud of dust and smoke behind them. The cloud raced forward, threatening to swallow those in its path. Naruto grabbed Sasuke, and they ran. He never had the opportunity to answer, and say what it was he wanted.

"They'll have to catch us first." he said, and activated his Sexy no Jutsu. Sasuke looked to him, but said nothing. Naruto thought he might have seen Sasuke grin. They helped mothers and children along the way to the gate. At the border of the village, a white-haired woman was waiting anxiously, peering about cautiously as people flooded past her. She took one look at the blond woman following Sasuke and grinned ear to ear in a way that made Naruto feel slightly uncomfortable. They handed the children they had carried out back to their mothers and grouped up.

"Hurry," Suigetsu said and they bounded forth with ninja speed, blending in with the fleeing villagers. Naruto tossed away the mask hanging about his neck, pulled away his hood.

A group of three lovely women, expertly concealing their chakra signatures, escaped from the village under the noses of frantic civilians, ANBU shouting from the Leaf, and the police force from the village yelling. Naruto couldn't believe the ease at which they escaped, but he had to contribute that to the reigning chaos, that and because a group of three running women were hardly seen as suspicious in a swarm of frightened villagers.

* * *

><p>"I'll ask you one time and your life might be spared." Madara's voice was soft, curling around Takumi's ear. The ANBU guard lay still in a puddle of dark blood, mouth opening and closing like a fish caught on a hook. Slowly, he shook his head. He said, "rot in hell" and Madara ended him quickly.<p>

Kabuto stood nearby, snakes curling around his ankles, watching the scene curiously. He was reminded of days spent with Orochimaru, and the thought made him grimace, shrink away from the sight and look to the village.

The village was a ruin. At least that much had gone right. Once it was apparent that something had gone terribly awry when the scheduled call from Zetsu went from badly postponed to never happening, (that, and White Zetsu began to shriek like something inhuman, clawing at his face and eye) Madara had sent a team to investigate. Kisame's body had been found, beheaded and fried, his only chance of survival having been his sword, which was cleanly sliced open. The other half of Zetsu had not been found, but it could only be determined that he had been killed and stolen…or burned, as Madara also suspected. Sasuke and his teammates had not been found, nor had they made contact until early that morning.

The message relayed that the team had been attacked by the Leaf, and Sasuke and Suigetsu had tracked Naruto to the village where he was supposed to hiding, Juugo was recuperating away from the village's border. Even so, something did not sit right with Madara.

After a couple more hours had passed with no further message, he asked Kabuto what would happen if the experiments were unleashed slightly before the full moon.

"I suppose it might still work," Kabuto had conceded. Madara ordered them released, to attack the village and scour it to look for Naruto and Sasuke. He was restless, and terribly angry. He couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. His anger intensified once he arrived at the scene, only to discover that Naruto, nor Sasuke or Suigetsu, had been found. Kabuto seemed rather smug about the news, and Madara wanted to hit him for it.

"If I may be so bold, _my Lord_, I would think that the young Uchiha might have succeeded in fooling you," Kabuto said with one of his slimy smiles. Madara's red eye swirled.

"Impossible!" he raged.

"You said yourself, it was only for Naruto that he would stop and listen," Kabuto went on.

Madara hissed at this."No, he would never-'o it would go against Susano'o''s nature. He wants Naruto's blood too much-"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Sasuke was lifted from Susano's curse?" Kabuto ventured.

Madara eyed him. "What would make you think so?"

"Well, it was only a thought, really. While confiscating Itachi's body and learning its many secrets, I discovered memories in the gray matter of his brain. I was even able to use a form of genjutsu upon it to see the last thoughts stored away inside. As it happens, the Sharingan has as much to do with the mind as it does with the eye."

"How? You would need a blood line limit yourself to see such secrets!" Madara was pacing, restless as a caged tiger, but incredibly interested.

"I was the one of the nin who helped Danzou with the Sharingan in his arm, young as I was at the time. I implanted some myself and ensured their efficiency. It was works such as these that inspired me to seek out Orochimaru and learn more from him."

Madara glowered at him."You dared to defile the Sharingan?"

Kabuto grinned."It was quite easy, even for as young as I was, but I was a prodigy in my younger years with medical ninjutsu."

Madara wanted to kill him, but he controlled himself.

"I kept a few samples for myself, unbeknownst to Danzou. With Orochimaru's help and expertise, we were able to create tools to dig inside the eyes and even the brain to discover the hidden properties of genjutsus unique to blood line limits." Madara was taken aback by Kabuto's tale. Kabuto was far more learned and skilled than he had anticipated, and it unnerved him. This was a scientist who had helped discover and create unusual tools in order to cast genjutsus with a Sharingan eye. He must be sure to keep an eye on the medic at all times.

"With these tools," Kabuto continued, "We are even able to see the last thoughts of the person before they died, as is unique to ninja who possess the Sharingan, I've found." Madara continued to listen, hovering between disbelief and a thirst for more.

"His last thoughts were of Sasuke." Kabuto looked to him "And of you, of how you would never be able to understand how love conquers hate, and how he would have the last laugh."

"That does not explain how you would guess Susano'o's curse had been lifted," Madara argued. "Such a feat could _only _be administered by another Sharingan user, and usually, only by one the host of Susano'o loves. That, or an extremely powerful user."

Kabuto shrugged. "When Itachi had those thoughts, brief of Naruto came up. He must have had some sort of back-up plan. I have also studied the effects of this illusionary demon Susano'o, through the readings of many scrolls. By this time, Sasuke should have clearly lost his mind, no matter his prowess and strength. You shouldn't be able to give him orders anymore. He should be an uncontrollable beast out for blood. I'm surprised he acts as he does. He should be far worse."

Madara considered this. There had been substantial proof of Susano'o's curse had been taking the boy over, however. When Sasuke decided he wanted to spare no life in Konoha, for example. Madara knew the bloodthirst within him was awakening. Yet…

Surely he would have noticed such a change in the boy.

"Sasuke is a clever young man." Kabuto pointed out. "You play against each other's wits, and someone's bound to eventually be caught unawares. Think about it. The team dies, Sasuke supposedly is tracking Naruto, but the Jinchuuriki is not here in the village and neither is Sasuke. Why is that? Why has Sasuke not contacted us? Because he _killed _Kisame and Zetsu's other half. I doubt White Zetsu can survive too much longer. I'm surprised he can move as much as he can, although he's losing his motor functions and beginning to have a series of mini strokes in what would now be half a brain. He should shrivel up and die fairly soon."

This annoyed Madara, so he said nothing. Zetsu had been his most trustworthy companion and spy. To lose such a person was truly a great loss for the Akatsuki. "You knew this was going to happen," he bit out, meaning Sasuke's desertion.

Kabuto grinned. "So now you know my reasons for our alliance against Sasuke. I made sure it progressed so that you would have no choice either way but to work with me. You are forced to listen to me because I have your body, now you are forced to listen to me again because I figured out Sasuke before you could even dream of his treachery. Now you _must _give him to me when this is over. "

Madara laughed dryly. "We have no alliance. "

"I _do _have your body."

Madara made no comment, but silently seethed.

"You are only a mortal man, Madara. No jutsu can change that," Kabuto said quietly.

Madara laughed again. "You might benefit from your own advice, Yakushi."

"I've benefited from learning from the mistakes of men like you," Kabut responded lightly. Madara whirled to face him.

"Don't underestimate me," he hissed.

Kabuto grinned again, raising his hands palm up, as if in surrender. "Don't forget, I need only form the seals, and your body is in my grasp."

"I'll kill you-"

"Oi!" a voice called, distracting them both. Their heads turned. Tomatsu, the big bulky man with skin of steel was holding a squirming woman in his arms. She was weeping inconsolably and begging for mercy. Madara glared at the man and rolled his eye at the racket. Tomatsu was rather slow, and only valuable for his strength.

"How many times must I tell you that we do not _play_ with our victims, Tomatsu, or that we take no prisoners? End her, get the squabbling creature out of my sight," Madara ordered. The small woman uttered a shriek of terror and clawed at Tomatsu, who only blinked, as if oblivious to the shrieking woman in his arms, and as if he did not understand Madara's reasoning.

"But-"

"Get rid of her, _now."_ Madara snarled, seriously annoyed by the stupidity of the man. He did not know if he could tolerate any more mishaps mildly.

"She told me she would tell me secrets!" Tomatsu looked disappointed, like a child who was promised a toy then didn't receive it. The woman cried out, shuddering in the large man's arms as if she would faint. Madara frowned beneath his masks.

"No secrets she has are of interest to me, I'm sure."

"I-I've seen the Jinchuuriki! H-he was my-my patient!" The woman wailed finally, her words hardly comprehensible behind so many sobs and between her swiping at constantly running snot from her pugged nose. Madara paused, and motioned for Tomatsu to release her. The large man opened his arms and the woman fell with a gasp to the ground. Tomatsu blinked, looking confused for a second then seeming embarrassed, as if he had just realized he had dropped her. He tried to apologize.

Madara approached the shaking woman, who was still blubbering. He hid his disgust at her weakness and kneeled before her. "Now, now, now," he chided like a father to a child, "No more tears, or you'll come to find I'm not someone to tolerate it. No harm shall come to you." Madarasaid in a velvety soft voice. The woman dissolved into more snotty sobs.

"O-o-oh m-m-my! Th-thank you, sir!" she cried. Madara placed a comforting gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Tell me what you know," he said softly, and the woman hiccupped, seeming torn.

"W-w-will you let me l-live?"

"It was never my intention for so much harm to come to pass. If the Jinchuuriki would have been handed over, this devastation could have been avoided, and the people of this village untouched," he lied smoothly. She blinked puffy red eyes at him, considering him for a moment.

"He was sent to me so that I might perform a most unusual procedure: an abortion. A v-v-very risky procedure! Tsunade told me that our research about the properties of Jinchuurikis' demons were to be believed." She blurted. For several seconds, Madara said nothing. A terrible rage gripped him, but he concealed it and decided to test the woman's knowledge further by pushing her.

"Well, that is rather outlandish-"

"It's t-t-true! You must believe me!" she wailed, wiping her running nose on her sleeve.

"Did you perform this abortion?" he wanted to know.

She shook her head. "N-no. The village went under attack the moment he w-was sch-sch-scheduled for it." Madara stood, his one eye looking on in disgust as she succumbed to sobbing.

"Tomatsu," he called. The large man blinked. "You shall be rewarded for finding me this woman!" Madara laughed. Kabuto was strangely silent. Madara was still laughing.

"What a find! And to think, you were once a great medic nin in the Black Ops of your own village!" He laughed some more, and the woman paled, a dawning horror eclipsing her face. "How soft and disgraceful you have become in your old age, Aoi Nakamura!" Madara chuckled.

"You know me?" she whispered.

"Oh, doctor, I know you" Madara whispered. "I know you're the woman who delivered Naruto Uzumaki, who helped protect Kushina, and I know you're the woman who helped make his birth a normal one. Yes, I know you."

The woman watched, utterly still, as Madara tested the point of a kunai against a puffy cheek.

"Please," shebegged. "Mercy. I just wanted to live. I want to see my son and grandchildren again!" She squealed like a stuck pig when Madara pointed the kunai at her throat.

"Pathetic." He spat, disgusted. "The one thing I hate worse than deserters are people like you, ready to squeal like pigs for their lives while they sell out their comrades. I never thought you a coward, Nakamura. Cowards disappoint me," he admitted. Nakamura's lips trembled, and Madara guessed she was saying a prayer. Fat tears oozed down her bloated cheeks.

"But I do want to thank you, for you enormous contribution to the War, Nakamura. You've just given me an entirely new reason to hunt down the Nine Tails, and an easier way to use him. I hope you realize you've given me a portal to power, a new hope for this world. It's a shame you won't get to see its beauty."Aoi opened her mouth, either to scream or say something, Madara was never sure, because he cut her throat before she could utter a sound. He kicked her away. "Take this woman away from me. She disgusts me."

Tomatsu came forward, a frown on his lips. He knelt by her. "She was going to tell me secrets…" He said quietly as he scooped her up. Madara smacked him hard.

"There's your secret." he hissed, angry beyond all words. It had been a horrible day, and the woman Nakamura had done little to alleviate his mood. In fact, he was beyond giving a shit about mercy. He wanted to see red. Mainly red earth, stained by Sasuke's blood.

Sasuke had lied to him. Sasuke had stolen from him, and now…

Sasuke had used the Nine Tails to acquire the secret powers of the demon child, a right and glory that only Madara should have had.

Kabuto appeared next to him."You need me," he said. Madara was tempted to cast a genjutsu on the medic nin and let him suffer at knife point for what would feel like days.

"I believe I can safely deliver the child for you. I can also aid you in extracting its powers," he went on. "I will also be of help when it comes to manipulating Sasuke."

"I can twist the little fool the way I want, without your help."

"Yes, but now that we know his weakness-" Kabuto tried to say.

Madara laughed. "Weakness? The boy is cold. He only desires power. He is a true Uchiha." There was an absurd surge of pride in Madara's voice as he said it, and he stopped himself, realizing his mistake. _The Uchiha are dead._

"You are wrong," Kabuto said quietly. "It amazes me, how much he is fortune's fool." Kabuto said with a light chuckle. "Just as you once were."

Madara refrained from throttling him. "I was never a fool."

"You and Sasuke, destined to fall in love with your most bitter rivals. The Uchiha never let the Senju of the forest rest, isn't that what is said? Only, Sasuke will never step away from Naruto as you did with Hashirama, will he? The bitter rivary has not erupted between them. We can exploit Sasuke's weakness, and bend him to our will. With that fault, he is not the Uchiha you desire him to be." Kabuto's mention of Hashirama strangely cut Madara, and he cursed his ex-lover's soul.

"He is not easily manipulated." Madara warned. "His heart is too black, too withered, after all he's gone through."

"Not for Naruto," Kabuto smiled honey-slow, "He is now the only living person Sasuke truly loves."

Madara thought of this, held it in his brain until his crimson eye burned like fire.

"And love," Madara whispered, growing more confident as black thoughts flitted through his mind, "truly is the greatest weakness."


	11. A Lover's Woes

_A Lover's Woes_

The forest flew by in a dizzying green blur, and Naruto was beginning to feel its effects. They'd been running without pause for what felt like an enternity, a frantic bound through the trees. His wrist was still clamped firmly in Sasuke's hand, and by now, the strain was beginning to pull at his shoulder socket. He eyed the landscape frantically as they passed.

"Sasuke! Wait! _Wait! _We're far enough ahead!" Naruto panted, and suddenly the world was spinning, and the run was taking its toll. The human body could only sprint for so long. The burst of speed was burning his muscle, his throat, his stomach. Suddenly his stomach was creeping up his throat, and he gagged. Sasuke hadn't realized Naruto had paused to be sick and kept pulling, only to get the hem of his cloak sprayed with vomit.

Naruto shoved him away in irritation.

"Sasuke!" The white haired woman, who Naruto learned was actually Suigetsu in disguise, warned sharply, also bent over and looking ready to collapse. Sasuke blinked wide eyes as if coming out of a stupor, realizing at last they needed to slow down. For a split second only, he looked ashamed as he watched Naruto be sick and regain his breath. He wrinkled his nose at the mess on his cloak and discarded it, tossing it into the wood.

"We've been running for a while, and he needs rest more than we do."

Sasuke sneered at Suigetsu. "That womanly figure is making you believe you can actually chastise me, Suigetsu-"

"Ugh, shut up, both of you!" Naruto moaned, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and looking shaken. Seeming to remember him, Sasuke shuffled to his side, offering a hand to help him up, but Naruto ignored the gesture, leaning against the tree. His normally sun-kissed skin looked ashy and pale.

"We _all _need to rest, Suigetsu is right." Naruto bit out. True, Naruto had immense chakra and did not easily tire, even in this state, but a body knows when to cry out in anguish for a rest. Naruto knew he needed to heed its warning. Sasuke nodded, and looked to the trees as rain began to lightly fall. Naruto and Suigetsu lifted their hoods, while Sasuke let the rain wash over his skin.

"Where are we going to go?" Suigetsu asked as they neared Juugo's caves. They had abandoned their disguises now, and were trudging through the mud. Sasuke looked back at Naruto, who had decided to remain silent. He looked forlorn and angry.

_"I don't know how to do this." _He remembered Naruto saying, looking lost. Sasuke swallowed, deciding not to reflect on it. It hadn't been done, and now they would have to live with their decision. For a moment, the future that lay ahead was so uncertain, was so unprepared for, it made him so increasingly nervous. Uneasy. He almost wished the procedure had been performed before the village had been attacked. He would never let Naruto hear these thoughts, however. He looked back at Naruto, eyes drifting to his midsection, Sharingan activated, as if he might _see _something. But of course, he saw nothing, and he ripped his gaze away.

By the time they reached the caves, Sasuke's mood darkened. Juugo was nowhere to be found, and all that had been discovered of him was a stain of dried blood in the cave they had last left him in. Sasuke cursed, and Suigetsu said nothing, only retrieved his sword, which he had carefully hidden in the caves, and proceeded to sharpen it, his eyes bright with worry and unease.

"He could have been caught by Madara," Naruto suggested.

Sasuke frowned."I'm not sure of that. If that had happened, we would have been attacked already." They waited. Two hours later, Juugo had still not returned, and Sasuke did not want to stay in a place close to the village. He was growing restless, and he kept stealing glances at Naruto.

"He's been caught," Suigetsu hissed, fearing the worst for Juugo. He tested the sharpness of his blade with his thumb and watched a drop of ruby red roll down his wrist.

Naruto was sitting in a cave, lost in his own thoughts, but Sasuke felt rather than saw his blue gaze. His skin would prickle, and he would know Naruto was watching him, blue eyes gleaming and intense. He guessed Naruto was still angry with him. Sasuke had not bothered to sit down and speak with Naruto. He had taken to pacing and scaling the caves, searching for clues while Suigetsu sat brooding and sharpening his sword. Suigetsu was trying to engage Naruto in conversation. The blond only grunted in response to Suigetsu's poorly timed jokes. Team morale was bitter and and despondent, and Sasuke cursed his ill luck.

Finally, a familiar redhead came into view nearly four hours later. He was holding out both arms, so that a line of sparrows dotted him from shoulders to wrists. He looked peaceful and happy, which only annoyed Sasuke further. He smiled shyly when he noticed Sasuke and whispered to the birds, which took flight.

"They say they saw men in dark cloaks and red clouds. They say they saw a village crumble and its people flee and die. They say the dark men circled this area already and left. You are safe."

Sasuke frowned."Where have you _been_?"

Juugo shied away at the anger coloring Sasuke's voice. He looked down at his feet."I was lonely." He said quietly, as another sparrow fluttered down to perch and sing a little song on his finger. Juugo smiled warmly and watched it fly away. There was such a child-like innocence to the man that Sasuke almost felt reluctant to shatter his peace with nature. Almost.

"Well tell your birds goodbye. We're leaving."

The smile withered and died on Juugo's face. "Akatsuki are gone-" he protested.

"_Now_." Sasuke repeated. Defeated, Juugo nodded and climbed down with him. Suigetsu let out a low, relieved whistle when he caught sight of Juugo.

"I thought you were dead!" Suigetsu said, sucking on his cut thumb.

"No. Just lonely," Juugo answered, looking out wistfully to the sparrows in the trees.

"Don't pout, you knew it would be like this," Suigetsu said through the thumb in his mouth. It was then that Juugo seemed to notice Naruto. Juugo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why is he here? That wasn't part of the plan."

Naruto looked suspiciously to Sasuke, who sighed exasperatedly. Suigetsu snorted. "That's not the only thing not going according to plan!" the rogue Mist nin said with a laugh. Naruto grimaced. Juugo remained confused.

"There will be a new course of direction." Sasuke informed him. Juugo nodded slowly, digesting this. Still looking at the forlorn blond he said "Now where do we go?" Sasuke still didn't have an answer, and it angered him to admit it.

"We cannot stay here for the night. We'll travel however long we can and make camp," he ruled.

Suigetsu sighed, rolling his eyes and muttering. "The air is heavy, and the clouds are swollen. It will rain again tonight. I'd rather have a cave to keep me dry."

"A man like you doesn't like the rain?" Sasuke asked, meaning to irritate. It worked. Suigetsu scowled, and sighed again.

Juugo was optimistic. "Don't worry, Suigetsu. I can always ask the animals and see if they know of proper shelter, maybe there will even a small village nearby and we can stay at an inn!" Naruto snorted at this, then he stood. Clearly sick of being ignored by the Uchiha, he strode over and grabbed Sasuke's arm.

"Talk to me." It wasn't a request. Sasuke frowned and reddened, ready to brandish his blade at Suigetsu's coy look.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Thirty seconds. Then we leave. We've lost too much time."

"Two minutes," Naruto haggled.

"One."

"Bastard!" Naruto huffed and yanked him forward. Suigetsu hid a chuckle behind a cough.

"Should we be concerned?" Juugo asked seriously, watching the pair disappear into the trees. This only made Suigetsu choke on more laughter and fake coughs, which caused an actual coughing fit. He waved a dismissive hand, face red from coughing.

"If you should be concerned about anyone, be concerned for Sasuke and his sanity."

Juugo's brows furrowed. "Does the Leaf ninja mean him harm?" He looked ready to march off and shadow Sasuke.

Suigetsu grinned, coughing again."Oh, I'm sure he'll rip Sasuke a new one, but the prick probably deserves it."

* * *

><p>"This is stupid," Sasuke said flatly as soon as Naruto had marched out of ear shot. Naruto colored, face contorting with the effort of trying to come up with an effective comeback. Unfortunately, he had none.<p>

"You're stupid," Naruto spluttered lamely.

"You come up with the most brilliant comebacks." Sasuke's voice dripped with sarcasm. He yanked his arm free, glaring at the blond.

"Don't undermine my authority in front of my team again," he hissed.

Naruto barked out a laugh."I'm sure you get enough of it with that Suigetsu guy." He stopped, faltering, suddenly serious.

"What are you planning?" The suspicion in Naruto's voice was cutting. Sasuke glared at him, wounded but too proud to show it.

"You don't trust me?"

Naruto paused. "I want to," he said softly. "But after what just happened, I have to ask. Let me trust you." His eyes met Sasuke's and they gazed at each other for a moment, as if trying to figure out the other. Sasuke found he didn't really mind the sudden detour.

"Why bother taking me along? What do you think you can accomplish with me here, anyway if you're still an enemy to the Leaf? Isn't this-_"_ Naruto asked, gesturing towards his whole self, "not what you wanted this morning?"His voice was low, brutal.

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, as if he were warding off a migraine. _He's still upset about what I said this morning,_ he realized. He sighed deeply. "I told you my thoughts. I'm not taking them back."

Naruto scowled, and to Sasuke's horror, tears sprang to the blond's brilliant blue eyes and Naruto looked at his feet, biting the inside of his cheek. _Dammit, don't play the victim! I'm right and you know it! _Sasuke inwardly seethed, but a bubble of doubt was beginning to creep into his thoughts. Why had he gone looking for Naruto then? Why had he hurried toward the clinic, mind reeling with something reckless, similar to what he'd felt on the night he'd crept into Konoha? What would Sasuke have done if the village hadn't been attacked and he had located Naruto before the abortion could take place? He couldn't say; he had been acting purely on impulse.

"I thought…" Naruto's voice trailed. He looked so hurt that Sasuke was tempted to reach out and comfort him, but he knew that with Naruto it wouldn't be wise. Not with him like this.

"I thought you had changed. That maybe, you wouldn't be as selfish. Am I here for a reason? Is there a way this is going to benefit your mission? I thought…I thought all of this...that it meant something. Sounds kinda dumb now." His voice was low and raw, and Sasuke's heart beat a little faster. Sasuke said nothing, only stared, cursing his racing heart.

"Naruto," He began, a little unsure. "I-"

"I guess it doesn't matter." Naruto cut him off, seeming determined. "It's not like you know the first thing about being a father." The words cut deep, and Sasuke sucked on his teeth in a fresh wave of anger. He thought of his own father, Fugaku, standing alone on the dock in thought. A chip of shadow, grim and serious and all fight, against the sunlight and glitter of the lake. How Sasuke used to think _I wanna be just like him. _And he thought he knew, even then, what being a father meant as he watched his own.

"_I _don't know anything about being a father? Take a look in the mirror. I'm not the one who grew up an emotionally challenged orphaned misfit!" He regretted the words the instant he said them and shook his head, making a frustrated sound in his throat. _Damn it.._.

Naruto shook his head, not even bothering with a heated response. He looked defeated.

"What was all this for, then?" Naruto asked in a weary voice. "Why did you kiss me all those nights ago? Why am I still letting you, when you deserted me, deserted our village. You even want revenge against it, and here I am, trying to appeal to you, trying to keep you with me a little longer, no matter what it takes." He covered his face with a hand before shaking his head again and kicking at the grass.

"Sometimes, I don't know why I care about you so damn much it hurts."

Sasuke stared at him. There were all sorts of things he wanted to say. He wanted to yell, he wanted to scream, he wanted to speak to Naruto in a soft, low voice and tell him that their nights together weren't for nothing. He just wasn't sure how to handle this newest development. It was so sudden, so new. Could he blame himself for not instantly being attached to the idea of this child? How could he? As far as he was concerned, it was only a dangerous pawn and possible weapon that could easily turn this war for the worst. Something that could harm Naruto, and that made Sasuke even more distant with it. Of course he hadn't _bonded _with it, even the idea of it, how could he? How could he, when all he saw was danger and unnecessary risks?

"What do you want to do with me? What is your plan? Either you're with the Leaf, or you're against us. But I have to know. I have to know if you're really going to be worth it." Naruto was watching him, waiting, hoping. Sasuke looked to him. He swallowed. Damn his inability to speak properly when a good talk was what was most needed! So, he decided to act on impulse again, hoping his feelings could be conveyed in a single action.

He kissed Naruto, fiercely and possessively. The blond spat a curse, but he quickly relented, and melted in Sasuke's arms, taking hold of him tightly. Sasuke broke away, his lips hovering over Naruto's ear.

"The child is dangerous. I can't allow Madara to have you."

Naruto's eyes glittered in defiance. "He won't, because I won't let him." Sasuke grinned at this. He pulled Naruto close again, but the blond was sure to avoid looking at him. He embraced Sasuke, resting his forehead against Sasuke's.

"I'm going through with it I guess," he whispered, then grabbed Sasuke's hand and pressed it to his belly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to it. Not even from you." Sasuke inwardly groaned, and closed his eyes. _What if I don't want this?_ He didn't dare say it, so he said nothing, only grimaced. Naruto seemed to sense his hesitation. He could feel Naruto's chest rise as he breathed. They were almost the same height; Sasuke only an inch or so taller at five foot nine, while Naruto stood at five foot and eight and a half inches. A perfect fit.

"You don't have to want it. I'm prepared to do this without you," Naruto continued, leaning away from Sasuke. He backed away then, daring Sasuke to say something. _Do _something. Sasuke scowled.

"Don't be an idiot," he sighed, closing the gap between them.

"Don't you ever learn? I'm always an idiot," Naruto shot back with a wide grin, though Sasuke knew there was no real mirth behind it. Sasuke knew this dance. In their younger days, he recognized how Naruto would hide feelings of sadness and discomfort behind a bright smile, strong words, and a loud joke or two. The fake cheer was annoying enough to ignite a dull headache. He had come to understand Naruto well. He eyed Naruto, doubtful.

"You're staying with me." As soon as the words flew out of his mouth, angry and possessive, he felt like the idiot. He wasn't used to emotion coloring his normally cool tone. It embarrassed him slightly. _Naruto will come to realize I have a weakness._ He thought with a bitter grin.

Sasuke never wanted this. Never wanted to know what it would feel like to have Naruto's flushed skin underneath him, warm from love-making. He never wanted to know what it would feel like to share a kiss. He never wanted to know what it would feel like to share thoughts with someone and feel secure. He never wanted this _weakness._ It was dangerous, and for once, he wasn't thinking of himself, which only added strength to the weakness he had fought hard to keep buried. Love got people killed in a vicious ninja world. Love made a seasoned ninja hesitate just long enough to get his throat slit.

It was never supposed to happen like this. Naruto was suppose to chase him, fight him, maybe even kill him. Sasuke should be shivering in Susano's icy embrace, thirsting for Naruto's blood. He should be vowing to end him, fighting blindly, like a man who had forgotten what it was like to feel shame.

Instead, he had been saved by the one he had once sworn to kill, and once he was warm again he had given in to long forgotten desires and hopes. He loved his rival, his best friend, his old teammate. He had tasted Naruto, had laid with him, laughed with him, talked with him, _felt _for him.

It was one thing to decide he was killing Madara for Naruto's sake; it was another to fight not only the Akatsuki, but possibly the rest of the ninja nations for a child that only put Naruto's life in jeopardy. For this _thing_ conceived in the fires of Kyuubi's chakra, defiling his seed. This _thing_ that might possibly not even be the innocent child Naruto thought it was.

Dangerous. Too dangerous. But Naruto wasn't going anywhere or doing anything without Sasuke. _It doesn't matter now, our fate was sealed the minute the sirens blared. If this child proves to be evil incarnate, I will end it. _He was decided, and took hold of Naruto's wrist.

"Stay with me," he said, when Naruto seemed to mulling over returning to the ANBU. Naruto's eyes narrowed, then softened. He opened his mouth to say something, but before a word could escape his lips, Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke, taking Sasuke with him.

* * *

><p>If Tsunade didn't know any better, she'd say she was having a heart attack. A very fatal heart attack. The summons that had reached her brought her bad news after bad news. A traitor in the Leaf, a spy from the Akatsuki. Sasuke Uchiha sighted. Naruto missing from the village. Takumi MIA.<p>

Her first thought once aware of the attack had been to move Naruto out of the village immediately and to the rendezvous point, risking actually meeting up with the Cloud for the extra numbers. Only Takumi and the team leader had been aware of where exactly the rendezvous was. Now, the site was likely swarming with a waiting ambush, and she'd had to notify the Cloud at once.

Of _course_, the body infiltrated by the strange black rogue nin had once been Hiyashi, the team leader for Snake, the ANBU squad escorting Naruto. At least there were no family members for her to consult. Hiyashi had been a quiet middle-aged man, living alone in a small cabin. No siblings, no children or known significant others, parents were dead, and he hadn't been the type who sought out friendship. It wouldn't have been hard for Zetsu to take on Hiyashi's likeness, and there were no family members or close friends around to have noticed odd behavior away from important eyes.

Nakamura had refused to move along, out of the village, with the Snake squad, much to Tsunade's dismay and anger. The sneaky little woman she had once known had become stubborn and soft in more ways than one. She'd always known Aoi to be weaker in terms of strength, looking towards her comrades to protect her. The doctor had insisted she couldn't move her medical team. Her reason being they were doctors skilled in ninja arts, not actual ninja, and she wouldn't risk her best team in years by having them out in the open for the Akatsuki to attack. Tsunade had argued that she and her team would be flanked by the Leaf's ANBU Black Ops, a highly skilled team of jounin that would be dedicated to protect her and her team.

Nakamura's response? _The village is still a safe haven. My team is safe here in hiding. Naruto will be safe here if you aren't foolish enough to move him. The village has a stronghold, a safe place we can hide in. It is better to stay in a place of safety than risk our necks and the effectiveness of this procedure for a whim. _Tsunade had nearly gone purple in rage at that point in their phone conversation. _Whim?!_ It wasn't a _whim_ to predict the village would fall and its ancient "stronghold" might not hold up. Instead, Tsunade had dispatched more ANBU; a team on a mission not far from the location.

No one had been expecting Orochimaru's abandoned experiments, gone wild and savage from the horrors they had endured. The reports were sickening. It was reported via radio transmission that the team had had to fall back. These 'experiments' supposedly felt no pain, which made them tricky to stall, therefore hard to defeat. They came down on a person like a wild beast that knew no exhaustion, hacking and killing until the life went from their eyes.

Even worse, the beasts assaulted the village before Naruto's scheduled procedure (thank the gods it hadn't been during). Sasuke Uchiha had not yet been located, though a visual had been confirmed. Takumi reported during one of his calls of two women seemingly following them, only to follow-up that it had been a couple prostitutes looking for a night's pay. She relaxed after hearing that, she'd been on edge. _Could it be Akatsuki in disguise? Sasuke in disguise?_ The report that the suspicious women had been prostitutes had been the only good news of the day.

Takumi had later called Tsunade back on the correct radio station for that conversation. He reported that he had lost sight of Naruto, and having to fight the swarm of beasts that rained down upon them in order to look for him, he was hard pressed and quickly cut off. Tsunade cursed loudly, her blood pressure from the stress sky rocketing while she desperately awaited more news from Takumi.

But already, she had waited too long.

Even worse, the Raikage and Mizukage had been outraged when informed of Naruto's sudden departure, despite Tsunade's letter and reasons. The Raikage had also sent his escort team out early to meet the Leaf. Naruto was supposed to be taken to an island of the Hidden Cloud, and hidden there with Killer Bee, the Raikage's Jinchuuriki brother. Unfortunately, those plans had stalled when the mighty Jinchuuriki had fallen prey to Akatsuki not too long ago. Not one to be weakened even by the loss of his brother, the Raikage insisted that Naruto still be hidden on the island, in the Cloud's territory and under their protection (with ninja accompanying Naruto from the Leaf and other hidden villages of the Shinobi Alliances, of course). That Tsunade had called her own shots, and the fact that she had failed to deliver Sasuke Uchiha to him, did little for her image in the Raikage's eyes.

"How can we help protect him, how can we protect our world, if you let Uchiha slip through our fingers?" the Raikage had challenged hotly.

Tsunade looked out her window. Still, she had received no word from Takumi, and she grew restless with each passing minute, beginning to fear the worst. Her radio was constantly tuned into the correct station that he would tap into next. On missions such as these, the radio stations constantly changed each conversation, and code words were exchanged before talking commenced.

Takumi _never _failed to report to her, even in the direst of situations. Yet all she heard was white noise, and her head felt fit to burst from her rising headache. She had never sat so still as she waited, hands folded, eyes glued to the cliffs outside. Finally, she switched stations to hear reports from other officers. She had been forced to assume he was dead. Especially after other members of the team had contacted her, and Takumi failed to be in attendance when she inquired.

"Missing in action. Presumed dead," was the report. Tsunade groaned. To hell with it, she needed a drink. When it came to Hiyashi, she didn't need to worry about sending family members such awful news. She would see to his funeral, and pay for it using government expenses since the man had no family to speak of. Quick, and quiet. With Takumi, it would be different. He had been a family man, and well liked, a good friend to many. She would need to inform his wife of twenty-seven years, a pleasant woman with a dimpled smile…their four children aged twenty to thirteen. She would need to attend the funeral along with his old team and put his memory to rest honorably. The thought made the back of her throat ache. She blinked quickly. She never cried, never in the office. She needed to put on a strong face.

_Naruto's missing. Sasuke's on the loose. Takumi is dead._ She felt numb as she willed away the emotions. No doubt she would fall asleep on a tear-drenched pillow with a bottle of sake in her hand tonight. She never allowed herself to sob unless she was in the privacy of her own bedroom.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a call came in. Shikamaru. Once Sasuke had been sighted, Tsunade had alerted her team and sent them towards the area. They had been looking for Madara's headquarters, but the trail had gone cold. Her team wasn't prepared to face Madara, this she knew, but a little intel and spying couldn't hurt. They _were_ prepared to fight Sasuke and bring him back. She was hoping Naruto would also be found nearby.

She waited, tense, as she tuned in for Shikamaru curt report:"The White Eye sees." It was cryptic message, but one that made her slump in her chair with relief.

"Take him out." She ordered into her ear-piece. There was no answer. There didn't need to be.

* * *

><p>Juugo was waiting for Sasuke to return, a frown on his lips. His strong arms were crossed over his chest. "Sasuke hasn't come back yet."<p>

"They're fine. It's just a lover's spat," Suigetsu assured him, chuckling. He was practicing some fighting moves with his sword, slicing through thick branches like butter, and leaving deep scars in the surrounding tree trunks.

"I have a bad feeling, Suigetsu," Juugo admitted. Suigetsu grunted, not the least bit worried, swinging his sword and embedding it deep into the wooden belly of a thick bodied oak.

"Relax, Juugo. Go and watch the birds," Suigetsu suggested.

"Suigetsu…"

Suigetsu almost didn't turn around, almost didn't bother to notice because Juugo's voice was so strangely soft. He turned to look, and suddenly Juugo was staggering, thick fingers touching the side of his neck. Suigetsu froze. Juugo's hand came away, plucking something from his skin, and Suigetsu saw the little green dart. Juugo's eyes rolled, and he fell to the ground heavily, sedated. All of this happened in only a matter of seconds, and Suigetsu hollered out to Juugo, went to reach for his sword to yank it free, but he couldn't move. He was rooted to the ground, arm outstretched. He cursed his bad luck.

He was confused, and dare he admit it, frightened. Suigetsu swallowed, trying to make out what was holding him fast. It took him a couple seconds to realize why he couldn't move. Black fingers of shadow had coiled up his legs to his thighs. Even his arms were caught in similar, shadowy binds. He almost hadn't noticed it, the gray patches banded across him like shadows cast from the canopy of trees above him. _Caught by my own shadow!_ Suigetsu thought, ready to laugh. He looked to Juugo again, who had stopped twitching on the ground and lay unnaturally still, and wondered what had happened to Sasuke.

The Leaf Ninja crept from the trees then, appearing suddenly. Never once seen, never once heard, until it had been too late. A pale youth strode towards Suigetsu, flanked by masked and unmasked accomplices. His opaque lavender eyes scrutinized Suigetsu with distaste, his thin lips curved downward in a slight frown. Sleek chestnut hair fell in a straight plunge to the small of his back. Suigetsu wanted to laugh again.

_Are all of Konoha's men pretty?_ he thought mildly. Suigetsu had never considered himself ugly, but he wasn't sure about handsome either. A few women had called him handsome…in and out of bed. His nose wasn't too long, or hooked, or crooked. His jaw was square and masculine. If only his teeth weren't filed to a point, maybe he might have looked more "pretty", like the pale young man in front of him, instead of hardened and tough like he was. _All gristle! _His grandfather would have said of him.

The Leaf fanned out, undoubtedly looking for Sasuke. A few ninja circled Juugo cautously, before beginning to lift him. Suigetsu called out to them, becoming angry. "Touch a hair on his head and I'll see to it you don't have any more fingers to harm him with!"

One of the Leaf nin at Suigetsu's side aimed to hit him, but the pale young man stopped it. He was frowning deeper than before, all the while staring at Suigetsu.

"Where is Sasuke?" he demanded coolly.

Suigetsu sneered. "Obviously not here."

"Don't play me for a fool. I saw his chakra signature."

Suigetsu mentally cursed."Then he's around, I guess," he said with a lopsided grin. The pale man nodded to the one next to him, and the Leaf ninja delivered a stinging blow to the side of Suigetsu's face.

Suigetsu spat, undeterred but wincing in pain. "You hit like a bitch."

Another blow, this time to his nose. He heard the _crack_ as it broke. He swallowed a yowl and a curse. _So much for my straight nose._ Like a river breaking past a dam, blood ran down his face, and he was constantly spitting, trying to rid his mouth of the heavy coppery tang. His nose throbbed so horribly it seeped up into his head, and he wanted to groan in pain. He watched bright red blood splash on the stone in puddles.

"Where is Sasuke?"

"Did you check up your ass? You seem a little tense," Suigetsu said thickly. Another blow. He heard a ninja report and saw the pale man nod.

"Yes, I know he's not here. I can no longer sense his chakra. No matter, we _will_ get the information from his teammates." And so Suigetsu endured.

"I'll ask you again. Where is Sasuke?"

"In a bit of a lover's quarrel." Suigetsu confided with a sly grin, still spitting. Another blow. And another. Another still. His ears were ringing. His whole face hurt. Sooner or later his face would become all mushy and pasty. He _hated _when he had to walk around like that. The injuries would trigger his water-state, and his body would automatically try to defend itself by turning into water to absorb further damage. Of course, he could only fully transform with hand seals, so his body could only transform a little. More blows. More still. He was gagging on his own blood.

"Where is Sasuke?"

"I don' know. Le' me go. Are you afraid to face me in comba'd? Release me and figh' me like a man!" He could feel his face swelling. His right eye was swollen shut, and he knew his left cheek had been split open. More blood, slick and warm. _Where is Sasuke? _Suigetsu wondered wildly. He groaned as he tried to glare at his attacker. _I don't know where he is. Well, come on, hit me_. This time his fingers were pulled at until they cracked and dislodged from their joints. He yelled then. Another finger, another still, and…

"Enough. I said _enough! _ This has gone on long enough, and it's hard on Shikamaru. We will save this one for Ibiki!" The pale man ordered, but Suigetsu was hit anyway. By now his feet and the stone all around him were stained red, not that he could see that well anyway. Suigetsu knew if he was released from the jutsu holding him he would stagger and fall to his knees. He coughed, groaning loudly.

"Aw, c'mon! Jus' when I was starting to _like_ the pain!" he hissed lewdly through his teeth. Hoping to tickle the Leaf nin's angry side, he spat fresh blood onto his mask. This seemed to enrage the masked man who had been hitting him.

"Fucking little rogue-"

The pale man touched the masked one's arm, gave him a firm look that sent the man stalked off, muttering, wiping his stained knuckles on his cloak. Suigetsu was dimly aware of what was going on. His face was so swollen it felt numb, and he couldn't see out of his right eye. _Where _was _Sasuke?_ He had endured all this pain for that little bastard, yet the rogue Leaf nin was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't_ here _to help his team when he was needed. Suigetsu wanted to turn into a puddle. At least in the water, he wouldn't feel so much pain. He saw the pale man step forward, but he didn't say anything about it, only hung his head. Something cold was against his neck…a sting…then darkness.

* * *

><p>AN: Let me explain why the chapters are being reposted. No, I'm not redoing the story. I'm just cleaning it up. This story is pretty much done, but when I tried to go back and edit a few key points in past chapters (Like Obito in the beginning, and a more clear reason about _why _Kabuto wanted Sasuke so much that would make much more sense), I accidentally ended up making repeat chapters somehow, because I had ended up joining two chapters together. I ended up making a bit of mess trying to copy, paste, edit, replace, and got fed up. So I decided to just repost all cleaned up chapters. I'm also breaking up some of the really long ones (this chapter and the last one where one last time, whew! long read!) so it's more readable. Some of these chapters are 11k and longer, so I'm going to break them up and make it a bit easier to read at a time.


	12. The Great Elder's Prophecy

_The Great Elder's Prophecy_

Shikamaru rose from his sheltered place among the trees shaking. He was flanked by two ANBU agents, who helped him until he was steady on his feet. His hazel eyes were glued to the white-haired young man known as Suigetsu Hozuki, a rogue nin from the Rain Country. Shikamaru cursed under his breath. The rogue nin's face was hardly recognizable from the picture in the Bingo book; it was too swollen, too painted in blood, hiding his features. Shikamaru winced at the pins and needles sensation in his legs. He had been at it too long. Not only did his legs hurt, his mind was weary and exhausted. He half hobbled over to Neji, his face dark and angry. Reaching out, he clasped Neji on shoulder, turning the Hyuuga around none too gently.

"Too long," Shikamaru growled. "That went on for too long. If he couldn't be reasoned with, send him to Ibiki, don't administer torture yourself. He's hardly recognizable!" He jabbed a finger at Suigetsu, who was being wrapped in a blanket then hoisted onto a ninja's back.

Neji flushed, pale cheeks dusted with pink. "If he could have been coerced-"

"No," Shikamaru snapped. "We do _not _torture or maim the enemy on our own account. If it's not our order, it's not or our duty. We're _not _Interrogation."

Neji's lavender eyes flashed. He was annoyed. "He isn't maimed. His fingers can easily be set back into place. Sasuke _was_ here, it's no secret. Hozuki is hiding something. It wouldn't have gone on for so long if Ren had kept control of his temper." As soon as he said it, the Hyuuga had the decency to look ashamed.

"You could have told him to stop." Shikamaru muttered. "I should have stopped it myself and lifted my jutsu. Made you _run _after him."

Neji looked away, scowling. "We're so close to Sasuke, Shikamaru! He's _here, _somewhere, I know it. We'll do what we must to protect our village and Naruto. You and I both know the world is better off without the Uchiha in this war. A few dislodged fingers and a broken nose are nothing compared to what Sasuke did to our village or will try to do."

Shikamaru nodded curtly. So the Hyuuga had allowed his emotions to get the better of him for once. It was a little surprising; Shikamaru had had no idea Neji had harbored such a grudge against Sasuke. Tuning in to his ear-piece, Shikamaru contacted Tsunade and informed her of their prisoners.

"We're heading back. Bringing Two. The raven's flown," he said, remembering the code names he was supposed to use on the radio. There was a heavy sigh on the other end.

"Very well..." Her voice trailed and she hesitated.

"My Lady?" Shikamaru asked, knowing there was more. Something bad, if she didn't want to say it. He fidgeted. _How troublesome._

"Any sign of the fox?" Silence on his end. A new fear gripped Shikamaru, icy cold. Lady Tsunade was asking _him _if he'd seen Naruto. Something had to have gone horribly awry.

"No," he said hoarsely, "There was no sign." He ended their conversation and looked to Neji, who seemed to notice something wasn't quite right. He narrowed his eyes, silently urging Shikamaru to speak.

"It's Naruto." Shikamaru sighed. Neji pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, as if trying to ward off a migraine.

"Shit," Neji muttered.

* * *

><p>With a started yelp, Naruto landed on his back on a hard wooden floor. He groaned again as Sasuke appeared, dropping from above him and landing heavily on his side, still holding onto his wrist. Naruto blinked, standing and looking around. He realized he was in the cozy cottage that belonged to Fukasaku and Shima, the bickering old toad couple. His unease lifted, and he laughed a little. Sasuke gripped his wrist harder as they stood, looking puzzled and wary.<p>

"Where the hell-?" Sasuke started to ay, but suddenly Sasuke released his hold on Naruto and ducked right at the precise moment a shrill shriek pierced the silence that had greeted them. A double edged knife flew past, missing Sasuke's cheek by a hair's breadth. It embedded itself into the toad's mating ceremony portrait. Naruto yelled and had instinctively moved out of the way, stumbling over a plush violet colored couch.

Shima was still hollering, her green skin a comical pale shade of green at the sight of Sasuke Uchiha in her house. She began to throw pottery, too distraught and not yet provoked enough to try her hand at _senjutsu. _Vases smashed against walls and Sasuke expertly dodged them while Naruto yelled at her to get a grip.

"Shima!" He ducked as a china bowl flew over his head.

"Fukasaku!" Shima cried shrilly. "Fukasaku, we have been infiltrated!"

"Shima, no, stop!" Naruto yelled furiously, attempting to walk towards her without being impaled by a frying pan. Sasuke had taken cover behind a large bookcase, seeming oddly amused at Shima's reaction.

"Woman! Quit that hollering, what the hell's going on in here? Has Naruto arrived?" Fukasaku was gasping, clutching as his chest, obviously having ran to his cottage in distress over his wife's screams. He stopped short at what he saw. Shima hollering, throwing pots and pans, Naruto attempting to get close to her and covering his head, yelling and dodging whatever she threw. And crouching behind the bookcase, amazingly, was Sasuke Uchiha, who was smirking like it was all terribly funny.

Sasuke Uchiha! Behind his _bookcase!_

"It took him a moment to find his words. "ENOUGH!" Fukasaku bellowed, lashing out with his tongue and catching a pot before it bowled into the shrine he had created for his father. The chaos ceased, and everyone froze.

"What in the _hell_ is going on?" He cried desperately.

Shima's eyes were wide. She was breathing too hard and only managed to sputter out a single word: "Infiltrated-!"

"The toad lands _aren't_ being infiltrated by the Akatsuki, that's not why Sasuke is here!" Naruto cut her off hotly. "If you would just _listen to me-!"_

"Enough!" Fukasaku repeated. He looked sternly to Naruto, who realized then how angry the little sage was. Naruto shut his mouth and Fukasaku hopped over.

"Why didn't we receive word from you? We've been waiting with our hearts in our throats! When we didn't receive a signal, I sent for you myself with a reverse summoning. I went to send a messenger to Tsunade to inform her of our actions."

"I didn't think-" Naruto floundered.

"No, you didn't think at all, boy!" Fukasaku raged. "The Akatsuki destroyed that village hunting for you, and you bring one of them into my _house!" _

Sasuke stepped into view, his features set in a poker face. "I am no one's man but my own."

Fukasaku was still on the defensive, careful not to look Sasuke directly in the eyes. "You're not welcome here," the toad said uneasily. He looked back to Naruto and shook his head in disbelief.

"How the hell is he here?" he asked, waving to the Uchiha. Shima had gravitated to her husband's side, casting a poisonous glare towards Sasuke. She sniffed.

"He was holding onto Naruto when they arrived. He must have had a good grip on him the moment you summoned Naruto." Shima guessed. Fukasaku grunted. It made sense.

"Naruto," he shouted. The blond didn't move, and looked to Sasuke, who stood still, as if evaluating what he should do next.

"Step away from him, Naruto," Shima tried more gently. Naruto didn't move. He opened his mouth to explain, but he didn't get a chance. Fukasaku's tongue lashed out, quick as lightning, coiling around Naruto's waist in order to jerk him forward, (much to Naruto's surprise, who let out a startled "Hey, hold on a minute! What-!") but Sasuke moved just as quickly. His blade gleamed as it sliced through the toad's pink tongue. Shima cried out in outrage and horror while her husband screamed and lapped up his bleeding tongue, fingers clutching at his mouth in agony. Naruto was shouting, stunned at the treatment Fukasaku had received.

The whole scene was too chaotic. Naruto couldn't even hear himself _think _above all the yelling.

"Sasuke! You freakin' moron, they're on _our _side!" he cried, but suddenly Sasuke grabbed him and vaulted out the window, the exact moment Shima shot a lethal water jet at Sasuke's back. They tumbled from the window in a shower of glittering glass, the water jet completely destroying the wall behind them and washing them over with needle-like spray. Sasuke and Naruto rolled out of the way, wincing and wiping water from their eyes. Naruto spat out a mouthful of grass and dirt as he scrambled to his feet, pissed off. Shima came hopping after them, yelling Naruto's name desperately, her beastly tongue snapping sharp teeth as it sought out Sasuke.

"What the _fuck_ did you do that for?" Naruto seethed, grabbing for Sasuke, but the other boy was too hyped up on the excitement of the little fight that had been staged, and was upright in an instant and dragging Naruto along, who was trying to pull Sasuke back.

It might have looked comical to anyone else. Two boys yanking on each other, trying to go in different directions and yelling, two angry toads hopping after them, waving green fists and screaming throatily. But, really, it wasn't very funny. Not at all.

"_No one_ is going to keep you from me," Sasuke said, obviously not trusting the toad sages. "What do you think's going to happen if we go with him? I can promise you probably not what you're thinking. No, we don't readily trust _anyone _but ourselves!" He turned his head to Naruto, crimson eyes spinning as Naruto sputtered angrily.

"Don't you get it?" Sasuke hissed as they ran for a lush, muddy meadow, heading for a thickly forested area in the distance. "No one is going to side with us. Not now. We're on our own, got it? Once they know the truth, they're not going to be as peaceful, not with the…" Sasuke hesitated, almost saying _thing inside you_, so he only grunted, Naruto getting what he meant. He let go of Naruto and suddenly and turned to face Shima and Fukasaku in battle, bounding away. Naruto charged after him, slipping a little in the mud and cursing to high heaven.

"Stop!" Naruto screamed, but the fight had already begun. Shima and Fukasaku avoided Sasuke's gaze as best they could, sending water jets and fearsome jabs from their tongues. Sasuke dodged effectively, sword in hand and body crackling with electricity. He blocked a water jet with his electrified sword, sending bolts of electricity towards Shima, who hollered and stopped the jet just in time.

Naruto thought quickly, forming clones as he ran toward the scene, and sent an angry rasengan flying at the group the moment they were about to clash again. The rasengan hit the boggy ground between them, and the meadow exploded in mud, grass, and cries of outrage as the foes were blown backwards by the blast, away from each other. Sasuke skidded down the meadow on his back, covered in mud and cursing. By that moment, others had arrived. Gamakichi and Gamabunta brandished gleaming blades and eyed Sasuke murderously. Naruto ran towards Sasuke, waving his arms.

"Stop!" he cried hoarsely. "There's no reason to fight! STOP!" Sasuke leaped to his feet, getting in front of Naruto and cursing him at the same time ("_Dobe, _what'd you do that for?!). The monstrous-sized toads before them eyed Sasuke warily.

"Release Naruto, and we won't kill you," Gamakichi said solemnly.

Sasuke laughed. "Don't touch Naruto, and I won't have to kill _you," _he hissed in response. Naruto glared at them both, pushing Sasuke aside.

"He isn't with the Akatsuki!" he tried to explain desperately, but Shima and Fukasaku were shaking their heads, Fukasaku letting his maimed tongue loll from his mouth, horrifying Gamabunta and Gamakichi.

"He's a threat. Can't you see he's trying to keep you from us? Trying to keep you from a safe haven? He's using you!" Fukasaku spat. Sasuke's crimson eyes whirled in anger at this, and he pushed a struggling Naruto behind him.

"He stays with me. _No one_ touches him but me. Not while this threat-"

Shima laughed harshly. "Take a look in the mirror, boy, and tell me who the _real_ threat to Naruto is!"

Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm tightly, growling in his ear,"Don't make this worse_._ I promise you, they're on our side." He gripped Sasuke's arm more tightly. Sasuke grimaced, seething.

"Come quietly, don't make this worse," Gamakichi urged quietly.

"I swear, if you can trust anyone, you can trust them," Naruto promised. Sasuke did not seem convinced.

"They will take you away," Sasuke muttered. "They will, if they have not already learned of the demon child inside you they soon will and then how do you know they won't react badly to it? Our wars are not their affairs, but demons appeal to every side of the world, both human and beast alike."

In the end, Sasuke was led away at sword point (not what Naruto had been hoping for, and he argued with Fukasaku), outnumbered and seething, confined to a cell in a small brick building that seemed to sag in the autumn heat. Sasuke had surrendered mostly for his sake, Naruto guessed, but also it had seemed the better choice since the toads weren't threatening to immediately execute him at least, and the toads' power was great. Even for Sasuke it would have been something to take them all on. Sasuke glared at Naruto through iron bars, but he allowed himself to be locked away without a fight. Naruto gripped a bar, leaning against it.

"This won't last," he promised, feeling wretched and still trying to persuade the toads that Sasuke didn't need to be jailed. Sasuke turned his Sharingan eyes on him.

"Yes, it will," Sasuke said, his voice so calm that Naruto winced, sensing the anger beneath. "I will lie here and rot, just to prove it to you, until you come to your senses. If they don't keep me here, they will hand me over to Konoha to be executed."

"If you just explain-" Naruto began, a little desperately, but Sasuke cut him off.

"Get out of here, Naruto. Go see to your toads." Sasuke said quietly, and turned his back to Naruto, shedding his mud soaked shirt, revealing his pale muscled back, and running a hand through his black hair to weed out clots of mud. Head hung in defeat, and feeling mostly angry and embarrassed about the situation, Naruto left without a word. He walked down the small hall, and turning into a larger greeting room, where Fukasaku and Shima waited. Upon seeing them, his gut twisted in guilt. Fukasaku shook his head in disappointment at him, and began to walk out of the building, beckoning him to follow.

Fukasaku's tongue had been healed somewhat, enough for him to speak properly without too much pain, but it still stung, the toad sage insisted. Since the cottage had a gaping hole in it, Naruto followed them into a spare bungalow they kept, sparsely furnished save for the necessities and a few belongings Shima had brought over from the cottage. Naruto felt a cold animosity between him and the toads. Finally, he was spoken to.

"You would have betrayed us…for _him?_" Fukasaku asked, disbelieving.

Shima looked on the verge of tears. "We would never do you harm, Naruto. Obviously you didn't raise arms against us, but you still allowed him to pull you away. Why would you do that? He's a criminal. We are going to notify Tsunade of his capture so that he might be retrieved."

Naruto's stomach clenched, and he felt like vomiting. He squeezed his eyes shut. "No, please. Just _listen _to me. He covering his face with his hands, thinking of Sasuke's words. Fukasaku came to his side, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Sometimes, Naruto, we want so desperately to have faith in a friend we love, that we become blind to who they really are, and in turn, we unwittingly place ourselves and others we cherish in danger-"

"He isn't with the Akatsuki. He doesn't mean to kill me," Naruto said miserably. "No one is _listening _to me-"

"He's wanted world-wide, Naruto. He's a criminal!" Shima sniffed. "Look at what he did to my husband! It could have been the head off his shoulders he cut, and then what would you have done? Pleaded for his innocence? He has killed in cold blood. He has deserted you, taken up arms against you, and now he's back? For what purpose? For a childhood bond? How are you so sure he is not using you? Making you _believe_ he is something he isn't? How are you so sure that when he finally gains your trust, he won't lead you to Madara or stab you in your sleep?"

"He tried to destroy Konoha, Naruto-" Fukasaku said gently.

Naruto objected heatedly, "That wasn't him! He was under the influence of Susano'o-".

"And what did he do when you lifted him of the curse?" Fukasaku demanded.

Naruto puffed up, very much like an angry toad. "He isn't Madara's man!" He was losing his temper.

"He _returned _to Madara!"

"NO! He…" Naruto faltered. _He what? He did it for me? _He was brimming with anger, hands balled into fists at his side.

"You don't understand. He didn't return for the reasons you think." he said quietly, and the toad sages shook their heads at him like disappointed grandparents.

"Use your head, not your heart." Fukasaku reprimanded sharply.

Naruto shook his head, hand fluttering to his heart. "If I close my heart, I close my eyes," he said.

Fukasaku glared. "I could hit you," the old toad muttered, aggravated.

Naruto huffed. "You wouldn't." Fukasaku whacked him upside the head with his staff. Naruto yowled.

"The hell-?!" he whined. Fukasaku swung again and Naruto ducked.

"There!" Fukasaku boomed triumphantly as Naruto avoided another hit. "You didn't think I would actually try to hit you, but I did. Keep thinking that Sasuke can't hurt you, and next time it won't be a whack to the head you'll get, it'll be death, and there won't be a next time in order for you to duck."

Angrily, Naruto rubbed his head. "You're wrong!"

Fukasaku eyed him sadly."If only I were." Naruto felt bile rising in his throat. In sudden agony over Sasuke, and unable to control his rising nausea, he turned and vomited into Shima's favorite vase. She shrieked, of course, but the toads came to his side looking to comfort him.

"I'm sorry," He said weakly, not even realizing that with the strength of his heaves tears had streaked down his face. Shima looked at him, concerned.

"Are you ill, dear?"

He looked at her, surprised. "You…you don't know?" he asked, wary. Fukasaku blinked.

"Tsunade told us you would explain upon your arrival, but that it concerns the Nine Tails. This secret must be heavily guarded for Tsunade to not trust sending a message explaining, for fear it might be intercepted. Your sickness has something to do with this secret?"

"_Sasuke_ has something to do with my secret." he said quietly. The toads looked at each other in alarm. Hesitantly, he began his tale. The toads listened in disbelief, eyes bulging. Fukasaku was at a loss.

"The Great Elder, in his prophecy, never mentioned this," he said finally, scratching at his green head.

"I didn't allow him to get that far, remember? I cut him off, thinking I already knew what he'd been about to say. He took my word for it, and stopped talking about it."

"Naruto, Sasuke is too dangerous to be trusted. Even as the father of this child, he could still be affiliated with the Akatsuki!" Shima was adamant.

"He isn't! He's saved me…more than once. He got rid of Kisame and Black Zetsu from the Akatsuki. Why would he do that if he hadn't already severed his ties with them? Please, don't hand him over. If he's going to return to Konoha, it better be at my side, not bound as a prisoner."

The toads looked dubious. "We would be doing Konoha a kindness." Fukasaku said carefully.

Naruto reigned his anger. " Fukasaku, please! Trust me." he begged. "He was only trying to protect-"

"Protect you, is that you're going to say?" Fukasaku cut him off. "Is that why he cut off the tip of my tongue and tried running away with you? All for the sake of _protection? _We _are_ the protection!" he spluttered.

"He doesn't trust anyone. He thinks knowledge of the child will turn friends into enemies."

Shima sighed, and Fukasaku grunted. "I'll grant your Sasuke this: I wouldn't be surprised if that happened, and it's a good idea to be wary. Such a child is truly the rarest of gems, especially in the minds of those who seek ultimate forms of power. The world will be a dangerous place for you and this child, Naruto. He is correct in thinking that there will be few you can truly trust. Although, I still begrudge him for his actions. He resorted to a protective, childish way of thinking." Fukasaku sniffed. Shima agreed. Naruto nodded in agreement, groaning a little and feeling made out of lead. His stomach ached. His legs burned from the running. He hadn't eaten, and he was beginning to feel the onset of hunger pains. He politely refused the steaming bowl of caterpillar stew thrust in his face, fighting the urge not to vomit in Shima's vase once more. Shima thought highly of her cooking skills, though she never said so out loud, so she seemed offended by the refusal.

"It would be best to seek the wisdom of the Great Elder." Fukasaku decided, also waving away a bowl, much to Shima's irritation

Naruto groaned again. "He can't even remember what he ate for breakfast! Let alone my _name_. How can he make a rational decision?"

"Curb your tongue, boy!" Fukasaku growled. "The Great Elder's wisdom is invaluable. He will see the truth of things, and know what to do. With Sasuke, and the child."

* * *

><p>Naruto kneeled on the smooth stone floor of the temple alongside Fukasaku and Shima. The floor was slightly damp, and the air always smelled heavily of rain and pond water, due to the many elaborate koi ponds that decorated the interior. Lush, crystal, green, koi sparkling like gems. The Great Elder sat in his cushioned chair, blinking large rheumy eyes.<p>

"Who?" he asked in a quavering voice, seeming confused and disoriented.

"Naruto, Great Elder. You made a prophecy concerning him," Fukasaku repeated calmly and loudly, as if fearing the Great Elder had gone deaf as well as senile. The Great Elder reclined in his seat and thought a moment.

"Ah yes," he rumbled, fixing his nearly blind eyes upon Naruto as if he could see him clear as day. "You said you knew what would come to pass," he chided gently. Naruto shoved down his embarrassment.

"I thought I knew."

The Great Elder nodded his enormous head in agreement. "I said you would fight a man whose power lies in his eyes. Yes, and that came to pass. In my dream, you fought him, then you pulled out a black heart and kissed it until it shone like gold, then you put it back in his chest."

"I freed him from an evil chakra. A curse of the Mangekyo." Naruto clarified, remembering Itachi's words. _Look into his heart. _

Fukasaku nodded, leaning toward Naruto to whisper in his ear and quickly interpret."Yes, yes. The shadows must have been Susano'o, and the gold heart signifies _you_, Naruto. You must play a great hand in his future!" he whispered.

"Yes, yes. That came to pass…" The Great Elder was saying, before he he lost his train of thought once more and squinted at Naruto. "Who is he again? What was I talking about?"

Fukasaku rolled his eyes and spoke in a strained voice. "Naruto, Great Elder. This is Naruto. You were telling him of your dream. How he pulled the Uchiha's black heart from his chest and kissed it until it shone like gold."

The Great Elder nodded sagely. "Yes, yes. And so that came to pass. In my dream, there was also a terrible choice to be made. If wrongly chosen, it will cost the young man the golden heart you have given him. You must prevent him from making the wrong decision, lest the world collapse into chaos. You have a great power within you, and are harboring another." The Great Elder pointed a long finger at Naruto, and the blond knew then that his child was no secret for the Great Elder.

"I told Jiraiya that he would have a student he must sway in the right direction. Nagato had a power great and formidable. Yes, it was true. Naruto, you have a power even more terrifying: the power of a demon who rages more horribly than anyone could dream. A terrible choice will be made, a most dire situation. A red moon will rise on the night it begins. The right path must be taken! Should you stray from the path Jiraiya fought so hard to show you, you will wrong the world you are sworn to protect, and the Uchiha will forever fall into darkness. A terrible new age will take hold. Your love will come to a tragic and bitter end, and you will be consumed with fire and rage such as the world has never seen." He finished in a thin voice, sighing heavily.

Naruto stilled as he heard these words, ice creeping up his spine at the hellish prophecy."I…I can prevent it though, right?" he asked. The Great Elder blinked.

"Prevent what?"

"The tragic and bitter end," Naruto supplied, eager to know the answer.

The Great Elder squinted at him."Who are you again?"

"Great Elder-" Fukasaku began again, voice edged with irritation.

Naruto cut in, "Naruto, Great Elder. You said my love would come to a tragic and bitter end. That I must not choose wrong. That means I can prevent the worst from happening, right?"

The Elder muttered to himself. "Yes, yes, there are always two paths. The problem being that the path most choose is not the right one. Jiraiya tried his hardest, yet Nagato chose wrong. He tried hard with you…I guess we'll see what you choose. Should the right path be chosen, a new age will still rise. And with it, a new hope for the people. But you must take care to travel down the right path. You must take care to treat great power with caution, and teach others so." Naruto looked down at the floor, slowly wrapping his arms around his middle.

"Great Elder," Fukasaku continued. "The Uchiha is in our grasp. If he is evil-"

"There is a fine line between what is good and what is evil, Fukasaku. True evil at its darkest would not sit confined in our musty little cells and pout. You are desperate to see evil in a young man who is barely a man, though he's been forced to grow old in a short amount of years."

"He is a criminal!" Fukasaku cried, aghast.

"In his darkest hour, yes. When you stain your hands with blood, whether honorable or not, it leaves a stain upon one's soul that will never wash away. However, his heart has been revived and it is still impressionable. Young and green, barely beginning to ripen. There is still time to paint his canvas any color, lest he be lost and a true hindrance to this world. Even the most terrible of vendettas can be understood at their roots. It is the person's ability to have heart that makes the outcome less or more terrible than it needs to be," he finished.

Fukasaku was stunned. "Great Elder, he _attacked_ us-"

"For fear of his mate and offspring being left in the care of creatures he did not know or trust. Perhaps he should not have been provoked or misjudged. Had you changed tactics, you probably would still have the tip of your tongue, foolish child." The Great Elder seemed weary now, as if he'd been chastising a child.

"That is no excuse-" Fukasaku spluttered, incredulous.

"Fukasaku!" The Great Elder rumbled. "I have seen this in my dreams! Do you deny my wisdom?"

Fukasaku cringed, and bowed his head in respect. "Never, Great Elder!" he denied, humbled. The Great Elder grunted, on a roll apparently, because he hadn't yet forgotten who he was speaking to or why.

"Do not allow the worst path to be taken. Allow the boy to see Naruto,, and allow them to be at each other's side. It will help in what is to come. They must resolve their differences, so that they might be in tune with one another. This is needed when the time of the decision comes. Should they be without this understanding of one another, all will be lost," he finished gravely.

"But-The Leaf-!" Fukasaku tried to say.

"Give him to the Leaf and we are lost. His death will only make matters worse. He is darkness. Our boy is light." The Great Elder said cryptically. Fukasaku blinked, casting a glance towards Naruto and Shima.

"And the child?" Fukasaku asked, a little sharply.

The Great Elder frowned. "Ah, yes, this child. Fukasaku, I believe you would know what to do in a time of crisis concerning the child. It must _never_ come in contact with Madara. Chaos and fire will reign. The moon will still shine red."

Naruto frowned, uneasy.

"Understood, Great Elder." Fukasaku replied solemnly, keeping his head bowed.

"What's understood?" And the feeling of being in the presence of unparalleled wisdom vanished, replaced with the usual feeling of irritation and worry over the state of the Great Elder's mind. As they walked from the temple, Fukasaku grumbled, obviously displeased.

"For the fate of the world, apparently, we cannot separate you," he grumbled sarcastically. Shima smacked him upside the head.

"Ow! Woman!" he howled.

She glowered at her husband. "Did you not listen to his prophecy? Separate light from darkness and what happens? Chaos reigns, unable to be curbed by the natural good in the world. Let the Uchiha fall deeper and something terrible will happen! He must be swayed in the right direction, and that can only happen if Naruto is there to guide him!" She sighed, almost dreamily. "It is terribly romantic. Lovers chosen by fate."

Naruto blushed and vehemently denied this.

"Don't turn this into a freakin' soap opera!"

"Shut up, brat. It's romantic, get over it!" Shima growled, then returned to her musings of romance. Irritated, but hiding a smile, Naruto said nothing.

In the evening, after he had eaten a light supper, he walked over to the small building where Sasuke was being kept. It was no more than a five mile hike from the bungalow. Despite the notice of his release, and the hesitant invitation to sleep at the old toad couple's, Sasuke had coldly refused. It was his own way of punishing Naruto, the blond knew. He insisted he would spend the night in the cell, away from him.

Pouting indeed, Naruto thought with a snort as he entered.

A single torch lit the small hallway, and a moth fluttered desperately about the glass casing. The meager light was just enough to make out Sasuke's silhouette, still shirtless, perched on a stone ledge topped with a flat gray mattress, peering intently out of the small barred window. He didn't look up. Naruto tried not to notice or care. _So he's mad at me. So what, he needs to get over it! __Not that I care anyway! Stupid Sasuke._

"What?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence. Naruto hesitated, then opened the iron barred door, stepping inside.

"Quit the fucking act, you're starting to piss me off!" he complained, plopping down on the flat mattress next to Sasuke. Sasuke's lip curled, but whether it was a grimace or the hesitant beginnings of a satisfied smirk, Naruto couldn't say. It was hard to tell with Sasuke; the guy was practically inept when it came to displays of emotion. When Sasuke said nothing, Naruto leaned against the stone wall behind him, hands behind his head. He watched the Uchiha out of the corner of his eye.

"You didn't have to cut his freakin' tongue," he grumbled finally, meaning Fukasaku.

Sasuke snorted."He shouldn't have tried taking you by force and made himself look like a threat. I didn't know him, why should I trust him?" Sasuke reasoned. Naruto frowned.

"Well, being in this cell is _your_ fault, not mine." Naruto said stubbornly.

Sasuke chuckled. "_Usuratonkachi__. _I'm here because I chose to be."

"Yeah, well, you weren't happy about it earlier. You were blaming me with your eyes!"

"Because you were being an idiot!" Sasuke snapped. Naruto's eyes widened comically and he jabbed a finger at Sasuke.

"Hey! _I'm _not the one who's freakin' paranoid, with the sappy '_it's me against the world'_ attitude!" Naruto yelped as Sasuke suddenly grabbed him from behind the neck and pinned him on the mattress.

He whispered in his ear, "It's _us_ against the world, _dobe." _A feral grin lit his features. Naruto felt his Adam's apple bob, but he chuckled. At least in the darkness, Sasuke couldn't see him blush. Naruto grinned, gripping Sasuke's shoulders.

"You have some sort of alpha male complex?" he asked, pitting his strength against Sasuke's and flipping him. The look in Sasuke's eyes bordered on annoyance, but Naruto didn't miss the look of excitement.

"You don't need to flip me on my back every time," he huffed. Sasuke smirked, laughing a little, leaning down for a kiss.

"Hmph, horny bastard." Naruto muttered into the kiss. Sasuke slowly pulled away after a moment, and Naruto propped himself up on his elbows to peer him. Sasuke watched him through glittering eyes, still lying on his back, hands behind his head as he stretched.

"Ahem." A cough interrupted their peaceful silence, and Naruto sat up competely. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

" I told you, I'm fine in this cell," Sasuke said immediately.

Fukasaku grimaced. He was dressed in a dark midnight blue cloak, gripping a gnarled walking stick. "I need to speak with you, Uchiha."

Sasuke sneered. Naruto's eyes flicked between the two.

"Naruto, go back to Shima. She's prepared a nice broth for you," Fukasaku ordered.

"Fukasaku-" Naruto began, the minute Sasuke bit out "He stays." Naruto quieted, surprised.

"The broth will help with your nausea. Now go, Naruto, it is late. The Uchiha will still be here in the morning." Fukasaku urged. Sasuke glared at the toad. Naruto hesitated, noticing the animosity between the two warily.

"Get on, Naruto," Sasuke said suddenly. Naruto glared at him. Sometimes, the bastard really irked him. As if Sasuke could order _Naruto_ around? Please. This wasn't going down without some fierce objections.

"Hold on a second-" Naruto began, feeling as though he was about to miss an important conversation here, but Fukasaku cut him off sternly.

"Naruto!" the toad snapped. Naruto stopped talking, crossing his arms.

"It is late," Fukasaku repeated.

Naruto looked mutinous. "If there's something I should hear about-"

"There isn't. This is between me and the toad., not you." Sasuke interjected.

_"Teme,"_ Naruto cursed, but he seemed doubtful now. Sighing, he rose. He paused as Sasuke grabbed his wrist. Naruto waited, wondering what more Sasuke had to say.

"What?"he asked. Slowly, Sasuke brought Naruto's hand to his lips, flipping Naruto's hand palm up, and placing the lightest of kisses on the inside of his wrist. Naruto fidgeted, and cast a quick glance at Fukasaku, not sure whether to be embarrassed or secretly pleased. The look in Sasuke's eyes said what he didn't: _You better still be around tonight when the old toad is gone. _Naruto took his hand away.

"Don't toy with me," he grumbled, but he grinned when he turned away. He left quickly, hands stuffed in his pockets. As he exited the small prison, he took a little detour through a nearby swamp, his mind buzzing with questions. Was it possible that Sasuke would confide in him later? What was with this sudden secrecy? He shivered with the sudden late night chill of the bog, picking up a stone and skipping it across a murky pond.

He would just to have to wait to find out, he guessed.


	13. Promises and Legends

_Promises and Legends_

Sasuke leaned back against the cool stone wall, studying Fukasaku coldly. So this was the old toad's aim. _Fucking hell._

"So, you want me to do your dirty work."

The old toad flinched at Sasuke's words as if slapped. He puffed up in anger, slapping the butt end of his staff on the stone floor. "You know what must be done should you and Naruto face the Akatsuki-!"

"And if I don't agree?" Sasuke cut him off. Fukasaku cursed, seeming the shake his anger off with a roll of his shoulders before sighing deepl. He ran a webbed hand over his face in aggravation. _He doesn't know we wouldn't hand him over to Konoha anyway, I'll play him a bit, _the old toad decided. Sasuke watched him, wondering what thoughts the toad sage was considering.

Couldn't be good, Sasuke decided, at the look Fukasaku threw at him.

"We will hand you over to Konoha," the toad said firmly, trying to sound threatening.

Sasuke laughed, leaning back against the wall on his mattress. He grinned. "Excellent, I need to find my team anyway." He hooked his hands behind his head and enjoyed watching Fukasaku swell up with anger again.

Fukasaku bristled. "Insolent brat. Would you rather this be done by someone else? Have you no real concern towards Naruto?" Sasuke flared up, instantly rising, but he said nothing."Give me your word. The emotional response seemed to please the old toad and Sasuke despised him for it.

"Give me your word, Uchiha. You have the means to take care of this." Fukasaku urged.

Sasuke glared at him. "The child is of my own blood," he said, but he was stalling, and he figured the sage knew he was. _No. The real reason is because Naruto will never forgive me. Not for this, _Sasuke thought, Naruto's bright smile vivid in his mind.

Fukasaku studied him_, _and he snorted. "Heh! I am no fool, Uchiha. I know you do not care for it in that way. But hear me now. We both know why Jinchuurikis were created. Naruto is a weapon…and now he has another weapon hidden safely away inside him. The Great Elder has warned us. Under no circumstances must the Akatsuki come near. It is far too risky."

Sasuke's lip curled, and he quickly dismissed the Elder's prophecy. "Fuck your Elder's wisdom. This isn't about prophecy. It's about staying alive, and you know it is.-"

Fukasaku went purple, cutting Sasuke off. "It is about keeping Naruto _alive_! For the sake of the world we live in! Madara must _never_ have this child. We are not prepared for this! A child like this hasn't been born in over a thousand years! For Naruto, giving birth might very well mean giving his life. An ancient jutsu such as this...only the gods and demons know how to fully control it. We know too little."

There was a tense silence. Sasuke had to grudgingly agree with the sage. He paced, stealing glances at the moonlight spilling onto the floor through his barred window, but he had already known, long before, what his decision would be.

"You're not wrong," Sasuke said quietly. Fukasaku blinked, taken off guard. For a long moment, nothing was said. Finally, the old toad grunted, and he looked weary beyond his years, and immensely sad.

"It is for the best." Fukasaku said quietly.

_I once said those words as well._ Sasuke remembered.

"When the time comes-"

"I had already thought, should the child should prove to be dangerous, I would see an end to it myself." _True, _he thought, _but I was also willing to give it a chance at life then. "_I do not need your wisdom. Now leave. Go home to your wife." Sasuke dismissed him. For once, Fukasaku did not argue, when otherwise he would have been furious at such treatment. He looked at Sasuke in a way the Uchiha found infuriating. As if the toad _pitied _him. Sasuke wandered back to the mattress, curling away into a shadowed corner. Fukasaku took the hint and finally, the toad left, muttering something incoherent under his breath.

Sasuke sat in the dark a long while, moving over to the ledge by the window, bathed in pale moonlight, and relishing in the cool breeze that glided across his torso from outside. _It is for the best._ It became a mantra. _For the best. For the best._

_But he'll never forgive me for agreeing to this. This way, the child stands no chance at all. _Sasuke frowned, thinking of Madara.

_It's for the best, _he reasoned. A warm hand was suddenly cradling the back of his neck, but Sasuke wasn't surprised.

"So you didn't leave." He was glad.

Sasuke felt himself pulled gently against a taut body, his head turned so that dry, slightly chapped lips caressed his own. He sighed into the contact, unwinding, the fire in his blood setting it to boiling. Naruto trailed light kisses to the base of his neck, nipping every other kiss. Sasuke groaned, then whipped around, pinning Naruto against the wall so forcefully the blond grunted. Sasuke kissed him, hard. Naruto ripped his lips away after a moment, panting, gulping down air. Sasuke began to trail kisses down his neck, sucking and nipping, tugging at his shirt. Naruto groaned, but pulled away and placed his hands on either side of Sasuke's face.

"What's wrong?" Naruto breathed, holding Sasuke firmly so that Sasuke couldn't silence him with a kiss. Sasuke was silent. For a moment, he listened to the sounds of their breathing. He thought of saying nothing and kissing Naruto until he forgot about his question.

"You told me you never go back on your word," Sasuke whispered, their breath mingling. Naruto's brow furrowed, concern in his eyes.

"No." Naruto assured him, voice gentle but firm.

Sasuke watched his eyes as he spoke. "Give me your word then. You'll trust me. You'll forgive me." He was kissing Naruto as he said it.

"Of course I forgive you," Naruto murmured, not realizing Sasuke was asking for forgiveness for something he hadn't yet done. Satisfied, Sasuke tugged at Naruto's black shirt again, lifting it over his head, and the blond chuckled.

"You really _are _horny bastard," Naruto teased, before capturing Sasuke's mouth in his own. Sasuke found himself grinning, just a little.

He nipped at Naruto's bottom lip before trailing soft kisses along his jawline, and biting into the skin between his neck and shoulder. The low, guttural moan that ignited in the pit of Naruto's throat as he bit and sucked sparked a fire within him, and suddenly, he wanted Naruto beneath him. He wanted to savor the look on Naruto's face when he climaxed…he was beautiful in the throes of passion. Eyes heavy-lidded and gleaming, mouth slightly open, the vulnerable expression on his face…

It was too much, but Naruto took advantage of Sasuke's momentary distraction and pounced, so that he straddled The Uchiha. He was grinning broadly sitting on top of Sasuke, playful and alluring against the shadows. Sasuke grinned. The Uchiha would never admit that Naruto challenging him in bed was sexy as hell. So far, however, he had only allowed Naruto to enter him once.

While Naruto challenging him was incredibly tempting, there was no way challenging Naruto could beat vulnerable Naruto tonight. Not when Sasuke felt the way he did. He needed to feel Naruto open up for him, trust him, take all of him. It wasn't much of a struggle, and Naruto stopped trying, giving in to Sasuke's passion. They lay naked on the mattress, side by side, arms and legs entangled. Naruto groaned as Sasuke gripped his aching member. He pumped slowly.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked, breath blowing in Naruto's ear as he spoke. Naruto squirmed, panting, arching his back.

Naruto bit his lip. "C'mon. Don't make me say it." He closed his eyes. Sasuke smiled. Naruto opened his eyes to look up at him, blue eyes dark. He kissed Naruto fully, before trailing his kisses…

Lower…

Lower still…

Naruto groaned when Sasuke's lips and fingers tickled the inside of his thigh.

"Sasuke," he warned, but his breath hitched when he felt a warm mouth envelop him. He let out his breath in a long _whoosh. _Sasuke stopped suddenly.

"What do you want?" He asked again. Naruto threw an arm over his eyes, groaning.

"Jerk," he mumbled, but there was no animosity in his voice. Sasuke craned his head closer to hear him, crawling up over him.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered again.

Naruto bit his lip again, like he was trying not to laugh or smile, but when he spoke, his voice was low and husky. "You," he said, so quietly that Sasuke had to strain to hear. It was all he needed. He paused, taking the moment to drink Naruto in again. Sasuke wanted to remember him like this. Trusting, accepting, _loving. _

"Tell me if it hurts," Sasuke whispered after a little preparation, thinking of his own experience. He pushed in. Naruto gritted his teeth, throwing his arm over his eyes once again, breathing deeply, trying to relax. Sasuke watched him intently, but never once did Naruto ask him to stop. The tight heat was almost too much and he had to get a hold of himself and pause for a moment. Naruto ground his hips against his enticingly after a bit, and Sasuke groaned. He quickened his pace, emboldened. Naruto began to arch underneath him.

In the end, Sasuke's orgasm shook him to the core. They lay entwined with each other after, panting and warm. He gripped Naruto tightly. When Naruto was soundly asleep, Sasuke watched his face, bathed in moonligh, brushing blond locks from his eyes.

_It's for the best. _Sasuke thought.

He grimaced, eventually getting up and sitting by the edge of the mattress. He hung his head. Fuck this shit. What the hell had he gotten himself into? As he brooded, he wondered suddenly how Suigetsu and Juugo were faring. They must be pretty pissed, he was sure, or maybe even thinking Sasuke had abandoned them. If only there was a way for him to contact them…

Naruto stirred in his sleep and Sasuke looked over at him.

_Forgive me, Naruto, _he thought.

Sasuke fell asleep by the window, watching Naruto dream.

* * *

><p>Kabuto carefully studied the porcelain-pale features of Itachi Uchiha's corpse. It was morbid work. The snakes at his ankles hissed in displeasure, coiling under the shadows of his cloak. Kabuto was staring at the hollows where his eyes had been, eyes narrowed, as if he expect something to suddenly happen, or for the eyes to suddenly blink.<p>

But nothing happened. And there was nothing.

Black. Nothingness. Forever sightless. Had he lived, he would have eventually known the darkness, anyway. Such was the fate of the Mangekyo users.

However…

Kabuto couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something. Something important to this study. He had invaded Itachi's memories before the brain was useless. He'd had mere minutes. He had studied the body intently, bent on discovering all of its secrets.

Yet…

A sudden presence broke his train of thought, making the fine hairs on the back of Kabuto's neck stand on end. He was being watched.

"Madara." Kabuto acknowledged. He formed his hand seals with incredible speed, and the coffin disappeared beneath the stone of his quarters in the blink of an eye. He turned to face Madara, sweeping a quick glance across the rest of the little chamber he had come to call home.

The room was a particularly small hollow, a shallow cave that probably would have served better as a storage area. A gray bed, a wooden chair, and an oil lamp on the damp stone floor were its only furnishings. The flame in the lamp glimmered brightly, casting yellow light and shadows along the dark stone walls.

"Yakushi." Madara greeted smoothly. Kabuto waited, wondering what this meeting might entail. The snakes writhed about his ankles, baring glistening fangs, daring to poke their heads out to taste the air.

"You're angry." Kabuto observed quietly, after a moment of silence and watching Madara cross the room to stare at the lamp. It was true. Madara was practically trembling with all of his pent up anger.

"White Zetsu died a few minutes ago. I would like you to see to his body." Madara ordered. Kabuto frowned.

"There is nothing to be learned from such a nin. Even if we did discover secrets, we do not have the same physical attributes or even biology of his strange being, therefore some of his techniques might be close to impossible to replicate. I do not see why it would be of importance-"

Madara moved fast. Kabuto's snakes went through him of course. When the Uchiha sprang forward, roughly grabbing Kabuto by the wrist, twisting his arm behind his back, and grabbing the end of his silver ponytail with the other, he smashed Kabuto against the wall so hard that his glasses shattered. He pulled Kabuto's head back once more, shoving his cheek against the wall. Kabuto groaned.

Pain lanced through his skull, and he gritted his teeth. He could feel blood dribbling down his nose. Blood! Damn Madara Uchiha. Damn him to fucking hell.

"I don't trust you, doctor," Madara hissed.

Kabuto laughed, spraying blood. "Keep your friends close, your enemies closer." He felt a gloved hand caress his chin.

"I intend to do just that, Yakushi," Madara promised darkly. Kabuto swallowed, narrowing his eyes. Something was off. Everything had gone as he had intended. Madara had agreed to handing over Sasuke. The experiments were proving useful. What had happened?

Or worse, what had Madara discovered? The thought made him grimace as he bit out, "What do you want?"

"I want Zetsu examined, preserved, and buried. I want to know everything you know on the demon child, and any leads you have thus far on the whereabouts of Sasuke and the Jinchuuriki. Oh, and a small request." He applied pressure to the arm he had twisted behind Kabuto's back, causing the medic nin to squirm. "I want my body back." He released Kabuto then, allowing the medic nin to shake out his arm and wipe his face on the back of a sleeve.

"You can't hurt me, Yakushi. You can't do anything. Go ahead and try. Your antics will only amuse me. Perhaps I will even indulge you. You think you can manipulate me. It's been tried before. Now I've really had it. I've played along with your little game. I agreed to give you Sasuke, I used your little experiments to my heart's content and used your talents, but maybe it was all just an act, just so I could have you where I wanted. Cocky, and unaware. I know what you are planning."

Kabuto throat seemed to constrict with his rising nerves. He thought quickly. The best way to get an enemy you couldn't hit to move out of the way? Hit him where it hurts. Leave a mark on his mind. Hurt him with a memory he longs to forget, if you have that kind of leverage, of course.

"Pathetic. Keeping me like this…who are you trying to be? Hashirama?"

Madara eye whirled and spun, burning bright as flame. For a moment he was utterly silent and still. Then he chuckled lowly. Kabuto wasn't sure if it was amused sound, or a wary one.

"You're an interesting companion, Yakushi, I'll give you that. My ally one second, my worst enemy the next. However, your little game comes to an end now. I've figured it out, I know your motives. Did you think I would let you waltz in here, demand Sasuke, show me you held my true body captive, and I wouldn't do my best to figure out your ulterior motives?"

"I'm only a scientist who managed to figure out your secrets. I offered your a trade: your body for Sasuke," Kabuto objected.

Madara laughed harshly at that. "Only a scientist! Cut the bullshit. You think you're all tough because you've absorbed some of Orochimaru's powers with your science, and you have little snakes that hiss and bite. You didn't think this through hard enough, Kabuto. You miscalculated."

A bubble of unease burst in the pit of Kabuto's stomach, but he ignored it. Better to play the part of the victim caught unaware, he thought. "I don't know what you're talking about. I have your body and information on the demon child in exchange for Sasuke-"

"I'm no fool. You want more than that. You have the audacity to think you can counter my Tsuki no Me. You're planning on using Sasuke's eyes for more than a little adrenaline trip. Maybe you want him for another reason as well. I wondered, for a long while, what you could possibly be planning. Why you would seek me out, and not stay hidden. Kill my body even to get rid of me if it was in your possession. I am a threat, after all. I do not doubt your ability to figure out how to accomplish such a task. You're an ambitious little fucker."

Kabuto grimaced.

"Tell me your sinister plan. I know it cannot be for the greater good. I might only be looking at you with one eye, but even this eye can see the evil emanating from that black, troubled heart of yours."

For a long moment, Kabuto was silent. He considered fighting and making a run for it, although it would cause a botch in his plans. He needed Sasuke, and to get Sasuke, he needed Madara. He reconsidered. Perhaps his alliance with Madara, despite its now tenuous nature, might yet be saved. Maybe if he played the part Madara believed in…

"You caught me." he said slowly, cracking a grin. "Yes, I planned on overthrowing you and taking over the genjutsu. Orochimaru did teach me to aim high. I wanted you to cast the genjutsu for me. I was willing to wait."

Madara watched him through a narrowed eye. His eye widened, and Kabuto noticed that it gleamed. He sprang before Madara could move, but he wasn't' fast enough. The arm that came in contact with his chest mid-leap was so forceful he felt a rib crack. He choked on a cry, unable to hit his attacker. He fell to the floor in a heap, arms crossed over his chest.

"You're lying to me, Kabuto," Madara whispered. He took Kabuto's face in his hands.

"Tell me the truth, and you might yet be spared," he said quietly. Kabuto said nothing.

"Look at me." Madara ordered.

"Only a fool would look you in the eye, Uchiha," Kabuto said carefully. He winced as his chin was lifted roughly.

"You're a fool if you think I would let you live long enough to acquire the Uchiha's powers of the Mangekyo. However, I need you to deliver the demon child, and I need you to aid me in extracting its powers. Therefore, you shall continue to live. For now."

"And Sasuke?" Kabuto asked. Madara's eye gleamed, and Kabuto knew that beneath the mask, that ruined mouth was grinning.

"You can have his corpse. As if I would give the boy to you alive. You're a greater fool than I thought."

"I still have your body." Kabuto gasped out.

Madara laughed. "It's only a matter of time, Yakushi. Only a matter of time before my Sharingan catches you at the right moment, and figures out the seals. You would have been better off running, killing my body while you had the chance. Now you're trapped. Was this worth it?"

Kabuto couldn't help it; he laughed. Taken aback and infuriated by the reaction, Madara aimed to hit him again, but Kabuto's body collapsed, becoming a tangle of writhing snakes. Madara slowly looked around the room as the snakes dispersed, looking in the shadows for his target.

"You need me."

Madara turned, glaring at the man behind him. Half of Kabuto's face glimmered in pale, opaque scales, and the iris of his right eye had changed color, becoming a glittering gold. A grin split his face, and in the dim light, he looked maniacal.

"Don't fret, Madara. I have come prepared," he assured. "Come now, don't make this hard. Let's work together, share the glory. Let me become your right hand in the dawn of this new era. You need me," he whispered, stepping so close to Madara that the masked man angled his head back.

"I don't need anyone," Madara said quietly. Kabuto smiled. Madara twitched. A snake slithered from out from Kabuto's sleeve and coiled itself around Madara's neck, forked tongue reaching out to taste the fabric of his mask.. Kabuto reached out to the snake, his thumb brushing against Madara's mask as the snake returned to him, slithering down his arm.

"You need me." Kabuto repeated. "With me at your side, this world will see a leader unlike its ever known. With me at your side, you'll gain the powers you need to achieve your dream. With me at your side, your unfinished revenge will be completed. With the death of Sasuke, the Uchiha can be started anew. Fresh and clean. A clan that wouldn't betray you. A clan that would fall to its knees in awe of its glorious leader."

For what felt like several minutes, Madara watched Kabuto closely, before finally speaking. "Sweet words, as rotten as my mother's corpse. You want power? You want to be by my side? Give me my body, Kabuto, and I promise you won't regret it."

Kabuto made a show of mulling it over, further infuriating Madara.

"No. You'll kill me," he pouted finally. "Instead, I will continue to work by your side. I will help you in finding this demon child. When I've come to know you, I shall consider it. Tell me your secrets, Madara. Let me in. With me at your side, there's nothing we cannot accomplish in this new, brave world." He was leaning in close, mismatched eyes gleaming. For a heartbeat, Madara didn't move, only let Kabuto angle in closer. Then, without much warning, Madara hit him hard across the mouth. Kabuto stumbled backward.

"That slutty act might have worked on Orochimaru, but I'm more than a man, Kabuto. I cannot be seduced. I won't let you in that easily. You have my body, yes. You know how to give me the power I want, yes. But you still can't manipulate the strings to your liking. Now you tell me your secrets, Yakushi."

Kabuto wiped his mouth, staunching his bleeding fat lip on his sleeve. "What do you want to know?"

Madara chuckled, taking a seat in the bare wooden chair that sat in a corner. "I know your keeping valuable information to yourself. I know you have spies you planned to be keep me unaware of. You will tell me everything you really know about the Jinchuurikis and their ability to create such children. You will tell me how such children are born. You will tell me what your own personal spies have discovered about the whereabouts of Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke has betrayed me, and I will not forget it. Don't deny it; I know you better than you feared. In time, I will learn the truth behind your intentions."

Kabuto eyed him warily, thinking. _He wants the details so he can be rid of me_. Instead he said, "I might tell you, but you still need a practiced hand."

"Of course. Now on with it!" Madara ordered.

Kabuto sighed. A little indulgence couldn't hurt. He decided to appease Madara with a little history that had been lost to the world.

"You remember the story of the Sage of Six Paths?"

Madara snorted. "Every child over five knows the story. Don't be idle. Get on with it."

Kabuto ignored this. "The Sage of Six Paths was the first Jinchuuriki, harboring the legendary Ten Tails. He sealed the monster within himself in order to prevent it from wreaking devastation upon his world. The Sage of Six Paths came to know this demon well. A sage he might have been, but he was seduced by power. He knew he would die alone, without any real descendants. He needed to pass on his skills, yet could find no able bodied person to his liking.

The demon inside him tricked him into believing it could give him the children he desired, for a price. Strong children. Children of gods. The demon knew such an act would weaken its seal, and it planned to use that as its opening for escape. The Sage believed himself above the demon, thinking he could double cross it. He laid with a male lover that night, and conceived twin sons."

Madara leaned forward in his seat. "Ah, so the Sharingan of the Uchiha-"

"Do not interrupt." Kabuto snapped. Madara glared but let it slide. "The birth was a terrifying and painful experience. The demon inside him was able to use an ancient art, a type of nature manipulating jutsu known only to demons. It had to aid him at that time, you see. It wanted out, but to make its host suffer would equal its own demise.

Still, the demon had no interest in actually helping its host, as it was using his weakness to try and escape. The sage almost lost his life and the lives of his sons the day of the birth. The jutsu used only adds more unnecessary pain to the process, but the male body is not equipped naturally for bith and so this is to be expected.

The chakra that helps create the womb actually funnels, creating a makeshift birthing canal. It cuts like a knife, but is made more tolerable with the demon's jutsu. His sons were then able to slide down the little chakra canal, and out of his body."

Madara winced.

"That is how a birth is possible. As I was saying earlier, he gave birth to twin sons. One son would grow to be the founder of the Uchiha, the other, the founder of the Senju of the forest. You see, the son born with the Sharingan was actually the result of the demon's work. A demon can't really split itself. It was only able to fuse its chakra or slivers of itself with one of the twins.

By doing so, it unwittingly granted the child a great power, and the demon's own thirst for blood and battle, as the Ten Tails was quite bloodthirsty. Some might say this is why the Uchiha history is bathed in so much blood: due to its founding father. It is said that demon children often possess a certain quality or even a personality trait from their demon counterpart. The eye technique the son bore was a gift. The very eyes of the Ten Tails. That is why your eye is so powerful, and why it can woo the Kyuubi into submission."

Madara was quiet. It thrilled him to think he had the bloodline limit of a demon. What power, what strength, what superiority!

Kabuto paused before he continued, "As for my own personal spies, they can find no trace of Sasuke or Naruto. There is a rumor that they appear to have vanished. Suigetsu and Juugo, on the other hand, were found by the Leaf and taken into custody."

Madara laughed. "Vanished? More like ran away to a place untouched by ninja and war…" His voice trailed. He looked at Kabuto, eye widening. Kabuto blinked, wondering what Madara had just discovered.

"A place untouched," Madara repeated. It was then that Kabuto knew. He was thinking of Nagato, of the man's sensei. Of the toad sages that had accompanied Jiraiya. Of how they were unable to find Naruto at the time…

"Mount Myoboku," Madara whispered, leaping to his feet.

Kabuto grinned. "Very clever, my Lord." He praised.

Madara nodded. "Get to work, Kabuto. We're finding a way in. Sasuke will pay dearly for what he's done. There will be a change of course. I want him to be alive to watch as I take away that blond brat. He'll beg me for death when I'm through with him."

He left Kabuto in the dark little room, a slight spring in his step and a hum on his lips. Kabuto waited. Waited until the echoing footsteps of the Akatsuki leader could no longer be heard.

A snake curled around his neck, and Kabuto gently stroked its scales as he sat on his bed, taking out a cloth to clean face. His hand shook as he brought it to his mouth.

"Soon," Kabuto whispered to the white snake. "Soon. Madara think he knows everything, pet, but he is no god among men; only a man. Although, I do commend him. He almost figured it all out. Almost. And yet, he still remains a pawn in the grander scheme of things. Once I have Sasuke..." he trailed, excitement lacing through his blood at the thought.

"Once I have Sasuke, Orochimaru will return. And so the new age Madara creates for us will begin." He smiled, watching the flame in the lamp sputter out before dousing him into a dark blacker than oil.

* * *

><p>AN: I didn't have this totally figured out when I first wrote this chapter, and it kind of seemed a mess as it kept playing it out, but I _did _figure it all out. Yep. Everyone has their own agenda.

Suspense!


	14. Compromises

_Compromises _

Naruto stirred, breathing in. Sasuke smelled like rain, like earth, mixed with the salty tang of sweat. He opened his eyes, vision sliding into focus, and found the Uchiha staring up at the ceiling, a grimace marring his features. Naruto sat up, yawning and watching him.

"You should probably leave before the toads come looking for you again," Sasuke suggested. Naruto arched an eyebrow, giving Sasuke a long, searching look.

"What's up with you? What were you and Fukasaku talking about anyway?" Of course Naruto got right to the point. Sasuke sighed in aggravation.

"Well you wasted no time. I guess you were too preoccupied to ask me earlier." Sasuke said with a languid stretch. His hand shot out, staying Naruto's annoyed fist and stopping it from colliding against his shoulder. The blond sighed, sitting up, and put his head in his hands suddenly. Sasuke didn't doubt that if the nausea persisted this way, Naruto would soon be as green as the toads on the mountain.

"Was it about the baby?" Naruto asked suddenly, seeming to get over it. Sasuke blinked. Calling it "the baby" made it sound too personal. Too alive. For a moment, he contemplated confiding in Naruto. He knew the blond's personality well. Sure, he would become angry and feel betrayed, but wasn't he the very epitome of a ninja who fought and sacrificed "for the greater good"?

Sasuke thought of Itachi and he grimaced. Itachi had chosen world peace over familial love and connections. While the dream to sustain world peace was arguably selfless at its heart, the actual act to attempt to keep it had been gruesome and undeserving in Sasuke's eyes. Could the same be said for Naruto? Would he choose the most "sensible" decision for the sake of the ninja world, or would he be biased? Since Sasuke didn't really view the unborn demon child as a real connection (in his opinion, it was still hidden away from the world, more of an idea than a true life. How could Naruto choose a life that hadn't yet begun over lives that already had?) he couldn't see the logic in saving it. It had no personality; it was unable to show love or hatred, and therefore it was unable to elicit similar emotions from him. Why not do it a mercy before it had a chance to live a nightmare, and possibly grow to become one?

Naruto belched loudly, rudely interrupted Sasuke from his thoughts. He threw the blond an annoyed look, but Naruto only stretched and pretended not to notice as he searched for his clothes in silence.

Why was it imperative that Naruto not know about the child's future demise? Where was the advantage in that? If he could be told, and he could be made to see reason and agree to it, they could all stop this nonsense now…but Sasuke hesitated. How well did he _really_ know Naruto? How well had he thought he'd known Itachi? He had thought (albeit, he was young and naïve) that his brother would always protect his family and clan. In a twisted way, he had, in the form of Sasuke, but…

"How badly do you want the kid?" Sasuke heard himself ask. Naruto blinked. He frowned, hunched over as he picked at a hangnail in thought.

"I...well...enough to not want the abortion, I guess," Naruto said finally, faltering a little.

Sasuke studied him. "If you had to choose, would you pick the kid, or the end of the war?"

Naruto swiveled his gaze over to Sasuke, his eyes narrowed and dark. "What kind of question is that?" Naruto asked, voice tinged with suspicion and anger.

"Choose," Sasuke insisted.

Naruto bristled. "What the hell? That doesn't even seem that realistic-"

"It _is_ realistic. It's like asking my brother to slaughter his entire family to keep world peace, or let them continue to scheme and cause another world war." Naruto quieted, eying Sasuke in an incredulous way. He remained silent.

"So, what would you choose?" Sasuke pressed after a moment.

"Do you think Itachi chose right? What would you have done in his place?" Naruto asked suddenly, throwing him off guard. Sasuke scowled, unhappy with the turn in conversation. It hit a nerve, but he controlled the tumult of sudden emotion.

"I don't think the innocents of my clan, like my mother, had to die for the faults of a few corrupted men. Unfortunately for them, they were guilty by association. If anything, the government should have imprisoned or executed the masterminds, quietly and efficiently. There was no need to murder the clan's women and children. Obviously, the government felt too threatened by the Uchiha as a whole to consider innocent lives." His voice was low, the slightest of quavers making it tremble like a spark of electricity in hot, stagnant air. Naruto was still staring at him, as if trying to figure him out.

"You never answered my question. What would you have done?"

Sasuke turned away, suddenly angry. "I couldn't have followed in my brother's footsteps." He admitted, keeping his gaze averted. Naruto was silent for a few moments before answering.

"Well, I'm not sure either."

Sasuke, huffed, suddenly annoyed. He didn't like how the tables had turned. "If the sake of the world was at hand, would you sacrifice the kid?" Sasuke asked again. Naruto sighed in exasperation. He rose from the mattress, naked, the feeble light from the torch on the wall playing off his tanned skin. Sasuke pretended not to care or notice.

"You brother asked me once what I would do if Konoha ever faced you as an enemy. If I would kill you for the sake of my village and its people."

Sasuke looked to him sharply. "What was your answer?" Sasuke wanted to know. Naruto grinned, pulling on his pants.

"I told him I would find a way to save Konoha without killing you, and I did. We don't always have to be faced with do or die situations. I won't give up until I find a way to save all those I care about. I leave no one behind. And I'm _not _the kind of person who's going to sit here and condemn someone because of a demon's touch that was out of their control." He grinned as his head popped through his shirt and he smoothed it out, his face alight with a fierce determination. Sasuke regarded him thoughtfully. So that was it. The situation was pulling at Naruto in a very familiar and sensitive way.

"You're naïve, Naruto," Sasuke said finally. It was obvious the correct answer to Itachi's question for Naruto would have been to end Sasuke's life immediately, and for Naruto to not allow his emotions to compromise the safety of his hidden village.

Naruto scoffed, ruffling his hair with his fingers. "No. I'm just a fighter." With a final challenging glance Sasuke's way, Naruto left, leaving Sasuke to contemplate his words.

* * *

><p>The moon was high and bright in the sky, and Naruto was happy for the silvery light. The late night air was cool as it slipped past him, its touch helping to clear his thoughts as he walked. He hadn't stopped thinking about Sasuke's question.<p>

He knew this child was one in a million. It was the key to unlocking devastating power willingly and efficiently without hassle. A weapon. A much more _controlled _weapon that most Jinchuuriki could ever hope to be.

_Go ahead, try and cut it from your belly. I will stop you_. Naruto remembered the maniacal light in the Kyuubi's yellow gaze, and his stomach churned. Could he really allow a similar evil to escape into the world? He shook his head. He thought of afternoons spent alone on a swing, trying to escape the hardened glares of people who believed him a monster. And at that age, he could never understand _why. __Why _was he so terrible? Was it something he could have done differently or controlled about himself?

Was he really a monster? Was he really someone who was _evil,_ even if he didn't feel or think that way? He remembered these painful thoughts with startling clarity, and he felt a hollow pang in his chest at their recollection.

For what he'd gone through so early in life, he'd been lucky, he supposed, as he thought of his home. He frowned, thinking of Tsunade's words. _This is what's best for your village._

_No_,_ I felt this child. It isn't like that! _he thought. Naruto reflected on what he had once told Konohamaru: All ninja will be confronted with terrible decisions at one time or another. Sasuke's question had disturbed him, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. If he _had_ to choose, what would he do? There was a truth to Sasuke's question Naruto couldn't deny: the end of the child would possibly save a lot of lives and unnecessary risk on the Leaf's part. He was troubled by this conclusion.

Finally, after spending a good hour or so skipping stones, he came to a conclusion that satisfied him. No, he didn't have to be faced with ultimatums. Naruto fought for the greater good of his country, for his village. He fought for those he cared about and those he loved. He fought for people he didn't even know, in the hopes they and their children would live in peace.

Whatever was said, whatever was believed, this child had committed no crime. This child was not the Nine Tails. This child was not guilty by association. He just knew it. He would protect his world. He would protect his village. He would protect Sasuke. He would protect the child.

He was completely decided, and he felt satisfied. He would keep it. He would live with this decision, and he would live with it comfortably for as long as he lived. That was all there was to it. He would try his damnedest to find a solution. He left no one behind.

The toads did not ask him where he had been when he stepped into the bungalow, worn but smiling. He sipped his broth, thanked Shima and bid the couple good night, and slept more peacefully than he had in years.

* * *

><p>"Lady Tsunade!"<p>

Tsunade woke with a start, eyes blinking as her vision adjusted to the dark. She was in bed, in a slip of a nightgown, with a pounding headache. She grimaced at the acrid taste in her mouth as she started awake. Who the _fuck_ dared to enter her bedroom (her bedroom!) at three in morning? Not only were they unwelcome, they had gone unnoticed by the highly trained ANBU guards stationed around her home. Someone was in for a hell of a beating, and a few broken bones for catching a glimpse of her in the skimpy shell pink nightgown.

Immediately she was on her feet, in a defensive stance, eyes searching for the intruder. She paused as she noticed the small figure at the foot of her bed. A messenger from the toads. She sighed in exasperation, relaxing, and rubbing her temples.

"I am sorry to disturb you at this time of night, Lady Tsunade. My humblest apologies!" The toad bowed his fat head.

"This better be about Naruto," she growled. The small toad bobbed his little head. He looked vexed. Tsunade's heartbeat picked up its pace.

"He arrived at Mount Myoboku via a reverse summoning. Fukasaku deemed it unwise to wait for a signal any longer. Naruto arrived alongside Sasuke Uchiha."

An icy hand gripped Tsunade's heart. Her breath hitched. "Uchiha? Is Naruto alright?"

"He is safe," the toad assured her.

Tsunade exhaled in relief."Keep him there. Arrange for a team of ninja to enter the toad lands to collect Sasuke Uchiha-"

"That will not be permitted, my Lady," the little toad quipped, interrupting her.

Tsunade blinked in stunned surprise. Then she grew angry, much to the toad's distress. "Not permitted? He is a _rogue nin_, and a world-wide wanted criminal. He belongs to Konoha. He must face punishment for his crimes! You cannot withhold a rogue nin from his village!" She was shouting now. The toad sighed, wincing at the anger in her voice. He whipped out a small handkerchief from his ill-fitted vest and mopped his brow.

"I'm terribly sorry, Lady Tsunade, but we will not permit Leaf nin to access Mount Myoboku-"

"Myself, then."

"That will also not be permitted."

Tsuande bristled, seething. She resisted the urge to kick the toad in the head. "The toads have no reason to include themselves in human political affairs. The war is of no concern to Mount Myoboku. You will hand Uchiha over to Konoha! This is not a matter for debate!"

The little toad shook his fat head once more. "We have taken Sasuke as our prisoner. You cannot legally come into our lands to retrieve him without us granting permission. To do so would be seen as a violation. We are withholding him for the time being."

"I demand a meeting with the toad sages!" Tsunade fumed. "Sasuke Uchiha belongs to the Leaf!"

"Sasuke Uchiha now belongs to Mount Myoboku, for the time being, anyway. Nowhere in your laws does it state that Sasuke Uchiha _must_ be returned to the Leaf to face justice. You said yourself that he is a world-wide wanted criminal. Therefore, whatever lands he is captured by has the ability to administer their own punishments. Yes, he is a rogue nin, and therefore his _body_ belongs to Konoha. Should he die, we will allow a team of Leaf nin access to Mount Myoboku to retrieve his body and safely deliver it back to you."

Tsuande was stunned, and so angry she was speechless. Never in her history of being the Fifth Hokage had she been denied like this.

"What would the sages want with Sasuke Uchiha?" she asked in disbelief, curbing her temper.

"That information is classified. I'm afraid I am not even aware. However, the sages will be willing to meet with you to explain their reasoning."

"Arrange for a meeting immediately," she snapped.

"Very well-"

"You might be twisting my arm behind my back when it comes to Sasuke Uchiha, but Naruto is of another matter!" the Hokage warned. The toad hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"Just arrange for the meeting, but be sure to relay that to your sages." Tsunade waved him away, still furious. She slipped back into bed, but not before grabbing the sake bottle on the floor, and opening it with an angry _pop. _

* * *

><p>"It would be in your best interest to cooperate, Hozuki."<p>

Suigetsu laughed at the scarred man's words. Heavy set, tall, a fearsome scar marring his once agreeable features. Yes, Ibiki Morino was definitely a classic example of what a little child would label as "scary". Unfortunately for Morino, Suigetsu only viewed him as a troublesome prick.

Suigetsu's injuries had been seen too, and his nose fixed (thank the gods). He hadn't seen Juugo. When Suigetsu asked for him, he was pointedly ignored. The redhead was being confined and drugged, for fear of a lethal outburst the Leaf did not want to bother to deal with. Hence the tranquilizing dart during their capture. Precautions were made to ensure the lives of the Leaf's best nin. They couldn't be too risky when the best were needed for war.

"If you will not speak, I _will_ break you." Morino growled, and Suigetsu was forced to realize where he was.

He had been trying to keep himself sane by assuring himself that this was only an illusion. A foul little trick to scare him into talking (not that he had had much to say on the whereabouts of Sasuke anyway. Not that the Leaf would readily believe that). Ibiki had resorted to genjutsu after a forceful interrogation hadn't worked. Suigetsu had been tied down to a chair, and asked again.

He tried his luck and told them what he knew of Madara, hoping for a little relief, but said nothing of Sasuke. It wasn't enough to keep the blade at bay. The phrase _Where is Sasuke Uchiha_ felt like it had actually been carved into his chest. Every time he denied his knowledge of where Uchiha was, a character had been added, sliced slowly into his skin. When that still hadn't worked, Ibiki had constructed a more tortuous genjutsu.

In this illusion, Suigetsu was in a small and transparent box-shaped cell. Chains bit into his skin, keeping him tied to a glass wall. He didn't even try to struggle anymore. When he refused to speak, the chains would bite deeper. Suigetsu bit on the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out. But by now, his mouth felt raw and bloody. The chains kept tightening little by little, until he could slowly feel the metal embedding into his skin as well as squeezing the breath out of his lungs. The chains had broken through the skin a while ago in this illusion, and were slowly cutting deeper. Dried blood coated the chains. He'd stopped trying to keep from yelling.

_ It's only an illusion. This isn't really happening. It's only an illusion…_Suigetsu thought wildly, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Pain is not an illusion." Ibiki cried, seeming to read his thoughts, and the chains restricting Suigetsu bit even deeper. Suigetsu cried out hoarsely and watched as blood dripped down his torso. Ibiki really knew how to milk it. What a fucked up bastard. It was driving Suigetsu crazy, how slowly he was being cut into. Even breathing was becoming difficult because the chains were bound so tight. He marveled at how an illusion could feels so real, so painful.

"Tell me where Sasuke Uchiha is, and this will all go away. In an instant, I swear to you, the pain _will _stop." Ibiki's voice had been become soft.

Suigetsu swallowed, blinking back tears and a sudden cry that threatened to clog his throat if he tried to speak. He managed, though.

"I don't know where Sasuke is!" he confessed for the umpteenth time. The chains went back to work, but this time, they kept cutting at a slow rate instead of stopping after a second. After a minute, Suigetsu was screaming.

"I don't know where he is! I don't know where he is!" He cried out as the chain bit through more muscle.

"I don't know where he is! I don't know! I don't know! _Please!_" Deeper. Deeper. _It's only an illusion, _he tried to think, but he couldn't. It felt too real. His thoughts had stopped working. He started to howl. Gods, were the chains scraping against bone now?

Pain is no illusion.

He screamed, trying to thrash against his painful restraints. He wondered if the chains would begin to cut through the bones, and he became terrified, his mind brittle with new fear.

_I will break you,_ Ibiki had promised.

_Did Sasuke abandon us? _Suigetsu wondered through the pain. The thought was too much.

"I don't know!" He howled through ragged breaths. Suddenly, the illusion shattered, and Suigetsu was gasping and thrashing about in a corner of a small cell, damn close to hyperventilating, still crying out in pain that no longer existed.

"Stop! Enough!" a female voice shouted. Ibiki turned his back to Suigetsu, and was now speaking to the Hokage. Suigetsu was too busy trying to control his breathing and rapidly beating heart to care. He clutched at his chest, relieved to realize that there was nothing carved in his skin.

An illusion. It had only been an illusion. Gasping, he staggered upright, but fell on his knees and vomited wretchedly. His stomach was in painful knots, and churning so badly he wondered if it would ever settle. The pain and blood had seemed so real that it was a shock to suddenly land in reality, while still trying to manage the illusionary pain and fear.

"Get him out," the woman said through clenched teeth, disgust lacing her voice as more vomit splashed sickeningly on the concrete floor. Ibiki grimaced, opening the door to the cell. He grabbed Suigetsu roughly under the armpits, dragging him upright. Suigetsu was taken to an adjacent room and thrown into a chair. The blond woman who had stopped his interrogation handed him a glass of tepid water, which Suigetsu took gratefully. His throat stung as he swallowed.

"Tell me, was it Madara's intention for Sasuke to infiltrate the land of the toads in order to capture Naruto? How is Madara gathering intel on my plans?"

Suigetsu swallowed too hard on his next gulp and winced. So that was where Sasuke was! But why would he leave his team without bothering to explain his motives? It bothered Suigetsu deeply, but he was suddenly too tired to muster the strength to feel angry.

"I know nothing of Sasuke being on Mount Myoboku, and I'm sure Madara knows nothing of it either," he stated honestly, although he was sure he wouldn't be taken to heart. He raised the glass for another sip, but Tsunade slapped it from his hands so that it shattered by his feet. Suigetsu scowled.

"Don't lie to me." she warned, the gleam in her eyes bordering on murderous.

Suigetsu fixed angry violet eyes on her. "What would I have to gain by further lying to you? I have been tortured, caught in horrifying illusions, and still I stick to the same story. You want the truth? Sasuke left Madara. Juugo and I accompanied him. We killed Kisame and Black Zetsu and hightailed it."

There was a silence. Tsunade's eyes bored into him. She raised a fist, and but Suigetsu was undeterred by the obvious threat. He gave her a defiant look that clearly said _hit me_. The vein in Tsunade's forehead was pulsing, but she refrained and waited for an explanation.

"During the time Naruto was taken to Yama, the prosperous village nearest the Fire Country's Wall of Fire mountain range, we entered the village disguised as women. Sasuke was even able to spend a night with Naruto, under the guise of a prostitute."

Tsunade was livid. Yes, there had been word of two women the night Naruto was in Yama, but Takumi had dismissed them as mere prostitutes looking for a night's pay and a warm bed to share. Her first thought was how _the hell_ do a couple of teens pull a trick like that on a seasoned ninja like Takumi? But then again, she was forced to admit that this was Sasuke Uchiha she was dealing with. He was up to par, no doubt, with ANBU forces. She gritted her teeth.

She was also forced to admit that at seventeen and a ninja at that, Sasuke Uchiha was no mere teen. No, most nin lost their childhood innocence at thirteen, sometimes younger, depending on the region, and then the only other transition they made was to adulthood. Ninja were not children; though they may be subject to the desires and outbursts of one at certain ages. Ninja grew up, and _fast_. At seventeen in Konoha's walls, Sasuke would now be considered a legal adult, but he had been thinking and acting like one for years. She had never been dealing with a child or a teenager, and she knew this.

"Sasuke had every opportunity to take him to Madara, or even kill Naruto himself, then. He didn't. It is true we ran off with him when Madara's henchmen attacked Yama. I'm not sure what the extent of that plan could have been. I told you, we deserted the Akatsuki. We killed Black Zetzu and Kisame in cold blood. There's no going back. We severed our ties. No doubt Madara is looking to kill us. Call me a liar if you wish, but no matter how often I am hit or thrown into a torturous illusion, I will repeat the same story, because it is the truth."

The tense silence that followed made Suigetsu fidget, but he didn't break eye contact with the Hokage. Finally, she broke her gaze and motioned for a word with Ibiki, leaving Suigetsu to his thoughts.

Why the hell had Sasuke up and left without a word? There must be a logical explanation, but Suigetsu couldn't help but feel abandoned and betrayed. Overall, he was angry with his and Juugo's situation, and the supposed safe location of his team leader.

Was it possible Sasuke had sensed the approaching Leaf ninja and ran to safety with Naruto, leaving his team behind to face the Leaf's wrath? Suigetsu sighed. He wanted to believe that Sasuke, while callous and often viewing missions and goals in a single-minded manner, could still have some semblance of honor and loyalty for his team. However, Suigetsu was forced to admit there were more than one occasion where Uchiha's decisions regarding the team had been less than noble. At his core, Sasuke was still the same single-minded, cold, calculating, and vengeful person that hatred had carefully sculpted through the years spent with Orochimaru. At his core, Sasuke was selfish. Everything Uchiha had done since Suigetsu had known him, he did to ensure his own success.

Naruto might have been important enough to Sasuke to lift the evils of Susano'o, but that didn't mean Sasuke had completely lost the personality he had gained from years of perfecting the mindset of a vengeful killer. If Sasuke believed Juugo or Suigetsu to be an inconvenience to him in any way, it was very possible Sasuke had cut his losses and deserted them, running away with his prize.

Suigetsu frowned, fists clenching. He could have stayed with the Akatsuki and he would have been a hell of a lot safer than he was here, on the run. He might have never helped kill Kisame and Zetsu, not if he hadn't believed in Sasuke and believed in a future separated from darkness. He had done it all hanging onto a thread of hope. It had been his chance, his moment to escape, to prove he was someone different. More than the tool he had become, or an experiment long forgotten.

Tsunade and Ibiki returned to find Suigetsu hunched forward in his chair, his chin resting on a knot of entwined fingers. His eyes gleamed dangerously. He had been completely clueless to Sasuke's whereabouts, yet it wasn't a complete secret…only to his teammates.

"He abandoned us, didn't he?" Suigetsu hissed, watching them. Ibiki had no answer to give. Tsunade considered him for a moment, lips pursed. There was a spark of annoyance in her eyes. She started to turn, but cursed and looked over at him. She seemed to think twice before she spoke.

"If what you say is true, I will release you. In exchange, you must swear loyalty to the Leaf and work with our Black Ops division. I want to know about the abilities and weaknesses of the opposition, and you will teach my ninja how to defend themselves against certain techniques and counter attack accordingly. Also, you will offer any more knowledge you have on Madara. His methods of attack, any secrets that may have been unearthed, et cetera."

Suigetsu hesitated. "Is that all?" he asked, clearly believing there was more to this deal. Tsunade stepped up close, planting her hands on either arm rest on Suigetsu's chair and bending forward, so that she looked him squarely in the eye.

"When I ask it of you, you will bring me Uchiha."

Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. Tsunade turned to Ibiki and motioned for him to leave. He did so, albeit grudgingly.

"He's my comrade, and nothing but death will greet him here," Suigetsu answered stubbornly, more so just so he could hear how far Tsunade was willing to go in order to get him to betray Sasuke. He had realized his question had been left unanswered. There was a possibility Tsunade was keeping more than a bitter truth from him in order to take advantage of his rage. Tsunade studied Suigetsu before answering.

"Loyalty means little to a nin who has abandoned his village and true comrades."

"I suppose if that were true, I would have sold Sasuke out the minute I smelled a good deal," Suigetsu retorted. Tsunade seemed to bite back her words, her golden eyes calculating. A tense silence stretched on for a few moments before Tsunade took a step back. Suigetsu noticed, however, that she looked far from defeated.

"Very well. He's your comrade, your leader, the reason you weren't kept as a pet by some ambitious scientist following in Orochimaru's footsteps, but he's not your friend." The ice in her voice made him frown.

"You fail to realize I'm my own man, and not easily manipulated by the threat of betrayal, that's why I work well on my own. I expect it. Even from you and your tempting offer," he countered. Her pink lips twitched into a grim smile.

"I'll make it even sweeter. Take the first half of my offer. Be with Sasuke, and _you_ can decide in the end whether or not to bring him to me once I summon you."

Suigetsu arched a pale eyebrow, not having seen this. The Hokage seemed so confident that sudden doubt sliced cleanly through his confidence like a knife. He hid it well, however, and tried to nurse it back to its original strength.

"Your choice. Stay here and rot for all we care, or give yourself a chance at life. You said it yourself, Hozuki, you're your own man. Therefore, any allegiance you have to Sasuke shouldn't hinder your decision on such a safe offer."

Suigetsu laughed. "There's always a catch."

She raised her hands, palm up, as if surrender. "No catch." She assured him. "If you fail to bring him to me, you will still be given the option of returning to the Leaf." Suigetsu wrinkled his nose at this, sensing a hidden threat.

"And if I were to leave with Sasuke?" he asked. Tsunade grinned.

"You will be seen as a fugitive who aided in Sasuke Uchiha's escape. Your name isn't on the world-wide wanted list of criminals, but I'll be sure to have it placed there," she vowed.

"So choose," Tsunade said again. "Choose to take my offer and be allowed the option to consider aiding me, or stay here and allow your name to be added to Sasuke's. It would be fitting, seeing as how stubbornly loyal you're proving to be to him."

"If I stay here?" Suigetsu pressed.

"I said you would rot. I never said how." Tsuande's grin was venomous. Suigetsu swallowed nervously.

"I will consider," he said finally.

Satisfied, Tsunade turned curtly on her heel, the hem of her green robes swishing softly on the concrete floor of the interrogation room. Suigetsu was hit with the scent of blossoms as she walked away. He heard her voice from the hall.

"Ibiki, he is no longer to be tortured and treated as a prisoner of war. That does not go to say, however, that he should not be watched like one. I will grant him an apartment to stay in. I will send the information to you shortly after I have found something open and suitable under government housing. See him to the dwelling safely once you receive notice. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a very important meeting to attend."

Alone again, Suigetsu wondered where fate would now take him.


	15. A Carefully Planted Spy

_A Carefully Planted Spy_

Fukasaku smacked Shima's meddling green fingers away for the umpteenth time that day as she attempted to once again smooth a the wrinkle in his mauve cloak. She cursed under her breath, something about unappreciative husbands. With forced civility, as Tsunade had understandably been loath to discover the toads claiming Sasuke Uchiha as their prisoner without mediation from the Leaf, the Hokage and the sages had agreed upon a meeting place. It was easiest for the toads to make their way towards Konoha, as Mount Myoboku and the hidden village were linked in a secret way.

So it was that the sages, including the Great Elder himself, were meeting by a lake not even a mile outside of Konoha's walls. Fukasaku had adamantly insisted that the Great Elder remain at Mount Myoboku because of his delicate "health" (or rather, his mind). The Great Elder, however, would not be swayed. Fukasaku's attention kept swiveling over to the Elder toad, who was resting in the warm water of the lake up to his waist. He was tiredly waving away a vexed looking young red toad, the Great Elder's newest little lap tadpole, by the looks of how he was constantly tending to the great toad. Judging by the size of the little toad, he had barely begun an apprenticeship as a messenger between Konoha and Mount Myoboku; it was probably all he was old enough to do. The last gusts of the September heat were blistering, and the massive toad seemed to be sagging in it, rivulets of sweat running down his bumpy skin.

Shima distracted Fukasaku with her chatter, and he looked away from the Elder. "Tsunade's temper has never been easy to curb. We should be careful of what we say. Technically, the Leaf _does_ have the sole right to covet Uchiha and deal with him as they should. We're really twisting her arm behind her back by calling her right 'force'," Shima warned as she smoothed over her smoky blue robes. Fukasaku sighed. It was messy business. The Hokage was wroth to deal with the sages, and he doubted the meeting would be quick, and least of all, pleasant.

"Let us hope we're only dealing with her anger towards Sasuke, and that this meeting doesn't turn into one about Naruto. As long as we can convince her that Sasuke can stay a prisoner on our lands, we should be fine," Fukasaku muttered. Shima said nothing, only grimaced. Finally, Tsunade appeared with a small group of ANBU guards, and her black-haired assistant, Shizune. The Hokage greeted them pleasantly enough as she walked to the edge of the lake.

"I must thank you again for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. It is an honor to meet you, Great Elder. I'm surprised you made the journey."

The Great Elder eyed her warily, the heat obviously testing his temper. "Dear, there is no need to sweeten your voice, I can hear the venom in it. Please, if we might go right along, this heat is almost too awful to bear," the enormous toad complained. Tsunade was too happy to comply.

"As a rogue nin, Sasuke Uchiha rightfully belongs to the Leaf-"

"He invaded our lands. We have every right to hold him!" The Great Elder rumbled. Tsunade's brow furrowed. Fukasaku found he was rather impressed, and grateful, that the Great Elder had not yet lost his bearings.

"Invaded? It was my understanding that his appearance was purely circumstantial-"

The Great Elder cut her off once more. "Sasuke Uchiha was an unwelcome visitor. If unwelcome needs to be defined as an invasion in order to keep him as our prisoner, then so be it. The youth has illegally witnessed our secrets and the mountain, something no human should see without welcome of the toads! It is an ancient law in our lands. Therefore, he is subject to our imprisonment. Mount Myoboku is a sacred land, and we only permit those we deem worthy to bear witness to it. Sasuke Uchiha came unbidden."

Tsunade seemed to chew on that a moment before saying, "Great Elder, I understand and I sympathize, but Sasuke Uchiha's body belongs to the Leaf! You cannot withhold a rogue nin from his hidden village! You speak of secrets that must be kept! The same goes for ninja and their hidden villages! If Sasuke were to die, any enemy ninja could study his corpse and learn his secrets, which should only be known to the village he was sworn to protect! Techniques the Leaf has relied on could be used against us!" Tsunade fumed. The Great Elder held up a giant hand, but Fukasaku cut in.

"Lady Tsunade, Sasuke's body is under no threat, we assure you. The entrance to the mountain is a heavily guarded secret, and no ordinary ninja can simply stumble upon it. We understand his body belongs to the Leaf, but the body in question still has a beating heart, and therefore is subject to any captors who might imprison him. Should he die, he would most certainly be returned to you, untouched." Tsunade glowered at him. For several moments she did not speak.

"Why are you keeping him? What is it you're not telling me? Answer me truthfully, I am the Hokage." She sliced a hand through the air to emphasize her point. Fukasaku looked to the Great Elder, who seemed to be mulling this over, wondering if Tsunade would react accordingly.

"They cannot be separated," he said finally. Tsunade's brow arched.

"Explain," she ordered, oblivious to the venomous looks the sages shot at her for such disrespectful treatment of the Elder.

"I have seen it in my dreams. It is imperative that the Uchiha and Naruto understand each other and this child that connects them. A great good could come out of such an alliance-" the Great Elder tried to say.

Tsunade sputtered, turning pink with anger. "You cannot withhold him based on prophecy alone! Prophecies are subject to a wide number of interpretations!"

"What prophecy?" The Great Elder asked, and Tsunade fumbled, confused and annoyed, hands akimbo. Fukasaku rushed to the rescue. The Great Elder had lasted longer than expected. The large toad blinked rheumy eyes at the sages as if in a daze.

"Lady Tsunade, we feel that by separating Sasuke and Naruto, we will only asking for more trouble," Fukasaku hurriedly explained.

"So you want to let the love sick teens carry out their little fantasy?" Tsunade burst out, incredulous. Shima frowned at this.

"My Lady, the Great Elder's prophecies are not ones to be taken lightly. Need we remind you that our current Elder is the holiest and wisest in our history! All of his dreams have come to pass. Jiraiya himself was once in a prophecy-"

"Yes, and a load of good it did him to heed the dreams of a senile old toad! He mentored a monster, and he died by his student's hand because of destiny!" Tsunade snarled, still wounded at the memory of her former teammate. Shima turned purple with rage at this insolence, and Fukasaku put comforting hands on her shoulders and shushed her before she could say anything else. He turned to Tsunade.

"Jiraiya might have been your friend, woman, but he was _my_ student, and I was as proud of him as I would have been had Shima granted me any sons! How _dare_ you belittle our beliefs and blame the Great Elder for Jiraiya's death? We'll keep this meeting civil!" He pointed to her, and the Hokage looked (only a little) abashed, but she held her tongue.

"Jiraiya," The Great Elder spoke suddenly, and the others quieted. "Jiraiya had a choice. I told him to be way of the path he trod, for it might lead to his student's undoing. Such is the way of fate. Jiraiya believed, yes, but faith was not his downfall. It was fate," he pointed out sagely. Tsunade frowned, but Shizune placed a warning hand on her arm.

"My point is that a prophecy can easily break into something different than first theorized!" Tsunade continued.

"Whether you heed my warnings or not, we still stand by our decision to hold Uchiha on our lands until further notice," The Great Elder decided. Tsunade shook her head.

"I am not comfortable with this arrangement. He is a wanted criminal, and a rogue nin of my hidden village. I will have him handed over in time."

"In time," Fukasaku agreed. This seemed to placate the Hokage somewhat.

"Until then, we might agree on another human residing on your lands to keep a watchful eye on Sasuke?" Tsunade ventured hopefully. Fukasaku and Shima looked to the Great Elder. It was he who ultimately decided which humans were worthy of seeing the toads' majestic lands. The Great Elder grunted.

"Perhaps. I will have to see this person."

"It will be done," Tsunade agreed. "Now, as for Naruto-"

"Naruto is safe with us, my Lady. We assure you no harm will befall him," Shima cut in. Tsunade quickly veiled her irritation at the interruption.

"I understand that, and I really do trust him with you. It's why we wanted him there in the first place, but we have to discuss the child," she pressed. Fukasaku eyed her warily.

"What more is there to be done? The child exists."

Tsunade grunted at this. "Well, I could make it otherwise." There was a pause at her words.

"You are suggesting a termination, despite the death of Nakamura?" Fukasaku asked, disbelieving.

"It would be a wise decision, yes. In fact, it was supposed to have taken place before Naruto arrived on Mount Myoboku. Unfortunately, a sudden attack led by Madara stalled the procedure."

"You are a brilliant medic nin, Lady Tsunade, truly one of a kind, but only Aoi Nakamura could boast of having even a slight chance of success with such a procedure! She was skilled when it came to demonic chakras!" Fukasaku argued.

"I am aware it is not my area of expertise, but I know how the procedure should be done. There is hardly time to study and practice it, lest we let the problem fester and grow. If we let it develop further, the task will only be more daunting." Tsunade seemed confident.

Fukasaku shook his head at this, flabbergasted. "There was a chance Aoi would have killed him, skilled as she was in that area. A chance she would have put herself and her team at risk as well. Not only may the Kyuubi surface, but going into this without the proper training could mean Naruto's certain death!"

"You have little faith in me, Fukasaku," Tsunade said through gritted teeth. "I'm a better medic nin than you're giving me credit for-"

"It is too risky, too dangerous! If you had to dispose of it, the safest way would be to wait until its birth so that is no longer protected by the Kyuubi and Naruto's body-"

"Fukasaku!" Shima gasped, horrified at the implication. Fukasaku paused and glanced at his wife, who was staring at him as though she were witnessing a side of her husband she had not yet seen. The Great Elder was studying him with a face that was hard to read, and Tsunade had quieted. He felt ashamed of the thought, but it was the safest option. Sasuke Uchiha had even _agreed_…

Tsunade interrupted his thoughts. "I had thought of it," she confessed. "It was only my own affections for Naruto that stopped me from taking that route. I had hoped to end it quickly, so I could spare him that kind of trauma."

"I have a soft spot for the boy as well," Fukasaku agreed, "I'm merely saying-"

"I understand. Still, I feel there must at least be an attempt!" Tsunade was putting her foot down on this one, Fukasaku knew.

"That is unacceptable," the Great Elder finally rumbled. Tsunade looked to him, at wit's end.

"What's unacceptable is allowing this child a chance into the world! We have no idea what we're dealing with-"

"This child will possess a great power. There is no denying it. However, casting it aside as a mere demon does nothing for the possible good such power raised in the correct hands will bring. Let things unfold the way fate intended, however it should be. Forcing death will only bring pain," the wise toad mused.

Tsunade wasn't having any of it. "Naruto is a ninja of the Leaf. He is the ninth Jinchuuriki, a target in this war, and under my protection. He will understand. Ultimately, I have the final say in what happens with him. He has no real guardians but me, and I say termination is safest. Not only for Naruto, but for the unfortunate child."

"It is too dangerous!" Fukasaku objected.

"Too dangerous?!" Tsunade thundered. "What's dangerous is letting this child live. If Madara ever caught Naruto, can you imagine the things he might think to accomplish with such an asset? No, we cannot let that happen! If Madara comes too close-"

"Enough! I cannot take this bickering," the Great Elder snapped. The others quieted. Tsunade was flushed.

"At least permit Naruto to leave Mount Myoboku just long enough to undergo the procedure here in Konoha-"

"No, no. Madara will be looking for him. It's best to keep him hidden. You know this, Lady Tsunade," the Great Elder explained tiredly. At her mutinous look, he continued, "The threat is great both ways. Still, we must keep him hidden. Sasuke Uchiha as well. Rogue he may be, but for a youth of seventeen, he is very skilled and may prove to be a valuable asset later on. He might yet be saved."

Tsunade bit her lip, mulling this over. "He still violated the law, attempted and _succeeded_ in assassination, and has tried to kill my ninja without a second thought to any relationship he might have once shared with them. The Sasuke Uchiha I once knew is dead to me. In his place is a villain I will gladly end myself. There is nothing left to be saved."

The Great Elder blinked. "Hmm? Save who?" The old toad seemed lost and confused again. He motioned for the young red toad waiting at the edge of the lake with a plate of enormous steamed caterpillars. The Great Elder gingerly picked one between two fingers and popped it in his mouth.

"Who needs saving?" he asked again. Fukasaku sighed deeply, turning to Tsunade. He knew it was only a matter of time before the old geezer ran out of steam.

"Present the person you have selected to stay on Mount Myoboku with Naruto. The Great Elder will decide, once he sees this person, whether or not to go along with your idea. I know it will bring you some source of comfort. knowing you cannot set foot on our lands."

Tsunade nodded curtly. "You won't send him to me, will you?" she asked. Fukasaku looked to Shima, who had been unusally quiet. She was eyeing him in a suspicious manner, as if she was beginning to piece something together. He hopped away from her and beckoned to the Hokage.

"It is too dangerous," he repeated once they were out of earshot from Shima. Noticing how he fidgeted and glanced nervously back at his wife, Tsunade hummed thoughtfully.

"What have you got up your sleeve, toad?" she wanted to know. Fukasaku sighed, bowing his head. He felt the familiar guilt associated with his secret pact with Sasuke, mostly because he didn't have the nerve to suggest it to Naruto himself. It was simply too gruesome to fully accept and acknowledge that the only person Naruto would let get so close (especially if he knew the thoughts of his peers) would be Sasuke. In that case, Sasuke would be the only one quick enough, and capable enough, to match Naruto in strength should things get difficult and end the threat.

"I have spoken to Sasuke," he said finally. "He has agreed…well, he has agreed to step in when the time comes."

Tsunade frowned. "Naruto is aware of this?"

"He is not. We both know what the boy would do…" Fukasaku hesitated, looking to Tsunade. The woman sighed.

"Yes, I know. He is naïve, powerful, and headstrong. He believes in protecting the innocent at all costs, and to him, his child is unblemished. I think his strong desire to protect it and prove it is loved comes from his own bitter childhood. He grew up without parents to love him, and was seen as a curse by the villagers. He will not do the same to his own. I am not sure whether to admire this or be enraged by it," she said finally. Fukasaku silently agreed.

"How can you be so quick to trust Sasuke?" Tsunade asked. Fukasaku shrugged.

"If you were to see him, you would understand. He is cold and lethal, but something keeps him connected to Naruto. Something that really makes him _see_ Naruto. I am not sure what it is, but they have formed a most unusual, and a most terrifyingly strong, bond. Once I presented the situation correctly to him, I had no doubt he would agree, if only out of a need to keep Naruto from death."

Tsunade nodded slowly. "If they have formed this most terrifying strong bond, then what do you expect will happen once Sasuke murders their child 'for the greater good'?" Tsunade asked. Fukasaku looked away.

"The Great Elder claims that Sasuke and Naruto must understand each other, lest chaos should reign. He's made it clear they won't do as enemies. Yet, we both know what chaos will be brought upon this world if Madara should have Naruto. Even Mount Myoboku will be affected. It's only a matter of time, Lady Tsunade, before the villain puts us in a corner. You know this; this is why you are more adamant than ever about the termination." Tsunade considered him for a moment.

"I'm surprised. You're not heeding your own Elder's prophecy," she said quietly.

Fukasaku winced. It was true. He was going against the Elder's wisdom. "Naruto is no position to make this decision. He is a person one can truly admire. He possesses true strength and courage…and it changes those who know him. It is his courage, his unwavering desire to save those he loves, even if they are deemed unoworthy of it, that will be his own undoing. In time, he will understand why the decision was made. He will forgive Sasuke. He won't forgive us."

"No, he wouldn't," Tsunade agreed, thinking of the energetic blond with the bright attitude.

"I have seen many things in my life. I have seen comrades fall, evil spread its shadow, villains persist and eventually burn out, even Death itself. I will not see Madara unleash himself upon this world. I try to be a faithful follower of our Great Elder. I heed his prophecies, muse over his wisdoms, and am sure to apply it once I fully understand it. There are few things greater in this life than wisdom. Without it, you know nothing, can do nothing. However, even the Great Elder does things I cannot fully comprehend. This child being one of them. If it brings Sasuke and Naruto to blows…so be it. It is a fight that will eventually end, but Madara's fight..." He paused, looking to the cloudless blue sky, and Tsunade nodded.

"Well said, toad." she said quietly. Fukasaku cast a guilty glance over to his wife, who was waiting, watching, a frown on her lined green face.

"The future is indefinite. It can always be changed." Fukasaku whispered as he bade Tsunade farewell and shuffled over to Shima.

The Great Elder stalled his departure long enough for Tsunade to summon Suigetsu. The Great Elder squinted at the youth, and seemed to hesitate. His unwavering glare made Suigetsu fidget. Fukasaku looked over to Tsunade. She seemed cool and collected, but he had no doubt she was holding her breath.

"Very well," The Great Elder agreed tiredly, waving thema way. Tsunade cast a quick glance towards Fukasaku and the two shared a knowing nod, but suddenly Fukasaku felt unsure. Discontent. Why did Tsunade need Suigetsu in the toad lands still, despite what Fukasaku had divulged to her?

Later, he would learn he was right to be wary.

The Hokage left the lake that September day with a smug grin on her face. She had stuck her foot in Mount Myoboku's seemingly impenetrable door; Sasuke was being watched for her by a young man torn between his want to have faith in his team leader, and his desire to avoid betrayal and end up on the side he was safest. Fukasaku had already taken initiative about the demon child, but she was still skeptical in the toad's belief that Sasuke was the only one able to accomplish the task accordingly. It didn't matter, she supposed. Either way, the child would be ended, and Sasuke would be hated and scorned, even if it was "for the greater good". In the end, he might even come to her willingly, and his reign of terror would end.

Everything would fall into place.


	16. A Regrettable Course of Action

_A Regrettable Course of Action_

**14 weeks later**

Naruto's eyes snapped open, only to drink in darkness and the weak yellow light of a candle dying on its wax wick. He waited, frozen on the bed, blue eyes fixed on the body next to him. In the darkness, Saskue's pale skin seemed to emit a pearly glow. Even in sleep, Sasuke Uchiha was perfectly composed. He slept on his back, arms resting at his side. Naruto almost had to laugh at him. Really, only Sasuke could pull off sleeping like the Grim Reaper. He hardly ever moved as he slept; yet despite being in a seemingly deep sleep, the smallest thing would make Sasuke leap awake, ready to fight. Tonight, however, Sasuke stirred only a little as Naruto's breath hitched, and he cracked open an eye, brows furrowed.

"What?" Sasuke muttered, sitting up on his elbows. Naruto continued to lie still, curled on his side, breath in his throat. He was quiet at first, unsure. Then he smiled tentatively.

"It moved," he whispered, still waiting for another squirm, another anything. Sasuke blinked, and a fleeting look Naruto didn't have time to comprehend disappeared from Sasuke's features as quickly as it had appeared. Sasuke sighed, closing his eyes.

"You woke me for that?" he grumbled, sinking back into the bed.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you're a freakishly light sleeper!" he retorted, secretly stung by Sasuke's indifference to this enormous milestone in this already strange phenomenon that was his pregnancy.

"I sleep like a ninja. You sleep like a moron," Sasuke shot back, though his lips twitched in an effort not to grin at the insult. They playfully grappled, and before long Naruto was met with a hard smack to the face with a pillow. His head snapped back, colliding with the wall. He cursed, rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Sasuke.

"Dammit, what's wrong with you?" he hissed. Sasuke chuckled, settling back down to bed. Naruto seized the moment. Sasuke expected him, but Naruto was planning on that. Naruto's sneak attack resulted in Sasuke falling off the bed with a muffled _thump_ on the carpeted floor. Of course, however, Sasuke had landed with whatever grace he could muster.

Which hadn't been much.

Naruto snickered, stifling a loud laugh, but quickly quieted when Sasuke snapped to attention. Naruto looked, noticing the light seeping under the closed door to the bedroom. They had woken Shima and Fukasaku. Sasuke threw himself in the closet the minute Fukasaku rapped on the door and threw it open. Naruto quickly pulled the blankets up to his waist.

"Fukasaku!" he complained when the light hit his eyes. The old toad harrumphed, looking around suspiciously.

"I heard a noise," he grumbled. Naruto smiled weakly, rubbing the back of his head.

"I bumped my head," he explained, a little lamely. Fukasaku cast another glance around the small rectangular bedroom.

"If I go to the bungalow, and Sasuke isn't there with Suigetsu-" Fukasaku started a little angrily, but Naruto cut him off.

"I bumped my head! That's all," he insisted, praying that Fukasaku hadn't noticed the color that rose in his face. The old toad sighed.

"This is my house, Naruto, you will obey my rules," he said, like some old fashioned old grandpa. Naruto nodded a little sulkily, and Fukasaku closed the bedroom door. Sasuke remained hidden for another couple of minutes, leaving Naruto annoyed on the bed. Finally, Sasuke quietly exited the closet, sitting on the foot of the bed before stretching out besides Naruto. Naruto watched him for a minute, shoulders sagging as his thoughts drifted.

"Maybe you should go," he said finally.

"Why? Afraid that old toad's going to scold us in the morning?" Sasuke drawled.

"Sasuke," Naruto groaned. "He-"

"He doesn't trust me." Sasuke supplied flatly. He was sure this was because Fukasaku was either afraid Sasuke would act too soon, or because he was worried that eventually he would begin to feel remorse and confide in Naruto. Sasuke preferred to believe it was the first option. Not that he didn't feel slightly guilty, but he understood why it had to be done. While Naruto remained pregnant, the child was safe, but as soon as it was born…

A memory came to mind.

_In the twilight, Naruto's blond hair seemed to glow gold, and the laughter that erupted from him rippled through Sasuke like a soft, endless hum. It warmed him, and pleased him to hear, though he was careful not to show it outwardly. He kept his features schooled, perfectly composed. He was watching Naruto and Suigetsu bicker and (safely) spar. Suigetsu never hit back, which ignited a fierce pride within Naruto that was amusing to watch. When Suigetsu dissolved into a puddle of water to avoid a hit, Naruto cursed loudly at the unfairness. In his display of outrage, he accidentally slipped in the wet puddle that was his new found friend, landing hard on his ass. Naruto had laughed so loudly at Suigetsu's curses and baleful complaints (that thanks to Naruto, the "Clutzy" ninja, his mouth would forever taste like ass) that a tear sparkled in the corner of his eye. Sasuke fueled their fire by calling them idiots, and the game resumed after playful banter. Although, the fierce gleam in Naruto's gaze made Sasuke anxiously await the veil of night and the end of the spar._

_He was suddenly aware of a presence. Fukasaku emerged, smiling at the antics of Suigetsu and Naruto. The two seemed to know how to stir up a good laugh when things became too quiet and still. Sasuke seemingly paid Fukasaku no mind, but the toad did not miss the slight incline of his head; a silent invitation to speak._

_"You may be allowed to stay with him here, but I do not want to find you in his bed in the morning. You will both treat my home with respect. Why, when I was young, I couldn't have more than a few moments_ alone _with Shima prior to our mating!_"

_ Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He waited for Fukasaku to continue._

_"Becoming intimate with another is a test of one's courage," the toad went on, "one's heart, and one's values. I know love. It is a dangerous thing." Sasuke silently agreed with him, slightly uncomfortable with the topic. He still said nothing. The toad continued, oblivious to his discomfort._

_"You may care for him, but in the end, remember what's important. His heart, or your future? His heart, or your purpose?" Sasuke realized the point in the talk, although he'd wondered all along. Fukasaku was trying to sway Sasuke. The toad couldn't afford Sasuke changing his mind. It would reveal too much._

_"You're afraid that if I become more involved, I won't finish the job." _

_Silence reigned. The toad did not look at him, only watched Naruto with the same affection a grandfather might have._

_"Platonic love is just as dangerous," Sasuke told him. The toad grimaced, shook his head, and ambled away, muttering. Sasuke turned to see Naruto watching him, his blue eyes dark. It was obvious Naruto suspected something between Sasuke and Fukasaku, but had so far been unable to discover the secret, although Sasuke knew the blond had his suspicions. He met Naruto's gaze, and smiled. The blond's stony frown rippled into a hesitant grin._

For the past fourteen weeks, Mount Myoboku had remained a peaceful haven. Madara had not been sighted in the battle field since before Naruto was brought to Mount Myoboku, and this sent a sense of panic and paranoia through the Allied Forces. However, Madara's armies kept up their work. Terrorizing villages, plundering, murdering resistances, and preaching about the dawn of a new era. Conquered villages switched loyalties out of fear and lack of resistance and ninja to support them. A few had even been renamed in honor of Madara. However, the new territories Madara had seized still were not nearly large enough to put a real dent in the Allied Forces morale.

"Sasuke?" Naruto hissed, throwing a pillow at him. Sasuke caught it, and broke free of his reverie. He strode over to the bed, looming closely over Naruto.

"See you later," he whispered. Naruto nodded mutely, watching him. The fact that Naruto knew Sasuke was hiding something was becoming more and more apparent with his questions and _looks_. There had been moments Naruto had pestered him with questions. Sometimes it was right after sex, while they lay huddled, silent, and wrapped deep in their thoughts and awareness of each other. That was when Sasuke hated him bringing it up the most. Each time, however, Naruto was left disappointed.

"Am I ever going to know?" Naruto asked gruffly. Sasuke was silent, pausing to brush hair out of Naruto's eyes. They stole a moment to study one another.

"I've got to go." He turned away to the window quickly. He narrowly missed the pillow Naruto threw at him. He crept out the window, with enough time to notice the blue eyes, gleaming in the dark, the color as alive and violent as an angry sea.

* * *

><p>Suigetsu pretended to be asleep when Sasuke snuck back in to the bungalow, his back to his friend; although Sasuke was practically noiseless. Suigetsu was surprised; he had expected Sasuke to have been gone much longer.<p>

"I know you're awake. What is it?" Sasuke suddenly asked. Suigetsu stiffened in his bed. He clutched the pillow underneath him a little tighter. He released the tension.

"For the genius you are, I'm surprised you haven't come up with a new trick to sneaking out. The clones are getting old," Suigetsu said with a yawn. Sasuke snorted , but said nothing. All too quickly, the room was plunged into silence again.

Suigetsu stared at an obnoxious scratch in the annoyingly purple eggplant wallpaper that covered the walls, but in the early hours of morning, the color looked as black as the sky. He didn't even dare to think until Sasuke's breathing became shallow, but even then, Suigetsu was suspicious.

Fourteen weeks had passed. Each day, he pretended there was no ulterior motive. Sometimes, he even forgot about it. Tonight, though…tonight was different. He let out a breath, clutching the vial hidden in his palm tighter. Tsunade had successfully planted spies, and an assassin. Suigetsu would watch, listen, and wait until he could report anything interesting concerning Sasuke or Naruto to Tsunade. But it wasn't only Suigetsu watching from the sidelines. The little red toad apprentice had been easy to sway once he heard the terrifying tale of the child and Sasuke's possible intentions. He often returned from summonings with secrets from Tsunade, and sometimes, like tonight, he arrived with lethal knowledge.

For fourteen weeks, Suigetsu had been safe, well fed, and had even made a friend out the obnoxious blond who had curiously enraptured his team leader. But now...Now he was about to betray them all.

For good cause, of course! For an excellent cause!

What was he supposed to do? Allow Tsunade to take him captive, turn him in as a rogue and a world-wide wanted criminal (title courtesy of tagging along with Sasuke Uchiha) and allow himself to be executed for a little compassion?

Suigetsu wanted to believe in loyalty. He wanted to believe in friendships that existed without betrayal. He wanted to believe in fairness, but that was only a fairy tale. Something he believed in when his heart was young and naïve, and would open like a blossom to such morals. But no longer. It was time. The war, Tsunade believed, would soon come to its climax. With Madara still out of sight, she believed it was best to take advantage of his absence and work quickly…both with Sasuke _and_ Naruto.

The vial was for Uzumaki. After three months of careful studies and experiments, Tsunade believed she had concocted a special drug that would irritate Naruto's natural defenses, and safely target and poison the child within without posing much harm to him. The complications that would arise with the drug would give the toads no choice but to hand Naruto over to Tsunade to be seen.

Once he was safely in Tsunade's hands, and it was revealed the child was dead, the toads would have no real say in Naruto's safety. Tsunade believed that after this tragedy, the toads would naturally look to Sasuke, who, she had learned, had been appointed by Fukasaku to do the gruesome task once the child was born. Without Naruto's child, and without Naruto's support once he realized Sasuke was the prime suspect, the toads (and Naruto) would give up on Uchiha, no longer having a reason to keep him. Or so Tsunade theorized.

Through the briefing he had undergone with Tsunade, Suigetsu was aware that this was all about a prophecy the Great Elder toad had made. Supposedly, Naruto and Sasuke's alliance was vital for the turning point of the war. He didn't see really see why. Sure, together they mad one hell of a formidable duo. Sasuke was a genius, and Naruto…well, Naruto was something else. The blond had talent, great strength and power, and for those who lacked insight failed to see, cunning.

Naruto could easily befuddle his image; making others think he was a fool of a ninja with his frivolity and bright, boisterous attitude. It made others connect him with the terms _juvenile delinquent_ or _hooligan_. Suigetsu knew simply by observing him, however, that Naruto was more than that. To Suigetsu, it seemed that Naruto's brightness was a shield, cleverly hiding the slightly darker truth behind a friendly smile. True, the blond was what one would call a true friend (and Suigetsu envied that) but he was also one that wasn't to be trifled with without great caution.

He fingered the vial. _Great caution._ Suigetsu was strong, he was fast, and he could be cunning too if he wanted. Still, he was about to sabotage Naruto's carefully protected secret. Sasuke had never spoken of the child to Suigetsu again after Yama, and he found it interesting that Naruto didn't speak so readily of it either. The topic was altogether avoided in his presence; as if Suigetsu was supposed to be left in the dark about it. Sometimes, though, Naruto would mention it to him in an off-handed and casual way.

Suigetsu fidgeted.

Tonight. It had to be tonight. Suigetsu was sure Fukasaku would be aware of Sasuke's nighttime visit (although the geezer never did anything about it but bitch and moan). He was prepared. He had waited, focused on Sasuke's breathing. Uchiha made it difficult; it was as if he never truly fell asleep. It would have been better to sneak out while Sasuke was out, but then he risked being caught by Sasuke still.

An hour later, Suigetsu gripped the vial close to his chest and closed his eyes. He held his breath, feeling his body mutate and become fluid with a thought. Silently, like a butterfly leaving a chrysalis, he sank through the bed, leaving a perfectly composed water clone in his place.

Water was life, but tonight, it brought death. Suigetsu puddled himself on the floor and slowly spread out, sinking beneath the floor boards, catching one final glimpse of Sasuke, still on the bed, before disappearing. He seeped into the foundation, into the earth. He bubbled to the surface a hundred feet away from the bungalow, and solidified.

He coughed a little, shaking himself. Sinking through cracks and compact dirt had made him feel claustrophobic. Carefully, Suigetsu made his way through the swamp, on high alert. Through careful observation over the weeks, Suigetsu had discovered that Naruto always left a glass of water on the nightstand closest to the bed he slept in. All Suigetsu needed to do was add the drug to the glass. As he walked, his heart worked so fast from his nerves he wanted to laugh. He was amazed he had slipped past Sasuke without much of a hitch. Although he hadn't made a noise, and he had been amazingly discreet, he still had been expecting it to be more _tricky _somehow.

Suigetsu froze then.

The cottage was in sight, but he didn't move. He felt a small disturbance in the air as metal was silently unsheathed, all before the deadly length kissed his throat, and Sasuke made his presence known.

No words were exchanged. Suigetsu waited, either to drown in his own blood, or for Sasuke to speak. Crickets sang a fast paced lullaby, warning of the chill that was soon to enter the paradise that was Mount Myoboku. Their song pierced through Suigetsu, ringing in tune with the heartbeat he could feel drumming in his ears, and still he waited.

He didn't gasp, didn't wince, when the edge of the sword slowly slid along the pale skin of his throat, leaving a thin trail of red. It stung. It was a warning. Suigetsu wondered where he had gone wrong. Then he cursed himself. Perhaps the Sasuke in the bed back in the bungalow had been a clone the entire time. The Sasuke that had entered the room had never been the real one. He should have known, the minute he wondered why Sasuke hadn't stayed out later. Suigetsu almost laughed at his own mistake, his own foolishness. He knew the answer then: Sasuke had sent a clone to travel back in his stead. Fukasaku would be aware that Sasuke had visited; the clone was to ensure the old toad believed Uchiha to have truly gone from the cottage. Suigetsu allowed himself a grin.

"Sasuke, come on. You're no hero." He was ready for the sword's impact, and the sword's song for blood was sweeter than the cricket's lullaby. It made his blood roar with pleasure. Quick as lightning the sword swung back and pressed forward again, intent on decapitating its target. It sliced through Suigetsu with ease, but instead of spilling blood, only water gushed forth. Sasuke's eyes were spinning red with his Sharingan as Suigetsu's body dissolved, the head flying off his neck, winking at Sasuke as it spun in the air, laughing as it hit the ground with a splash, becoming a mere puddle of water.

Tendrils of water sprang from the ground beneath Sasuke suddenly, wrapping wet arms tightly around his legs and pulling him waist deep into bog mud. Suigetsu reformed behind him, arms wrapped around Sasuke in a choke hold.

"Listen to me-"

"Fuck you!" Sasuke growled murderously.

"Sheesh, you're a stubborn-" Suigetsu didn't finish, he was too busy staring at the sword point that was protruding from his chest, red and glistening. He blinked, confused, and belatedly realized he had never been holding Sasuke in the first place.

"Dammit, you're a real mindfuck, you know that?" he joked feebly, gasping as the sword was withdrawn. Suigetsu fell to his knees, breaths coming in ragged gasps, clutching at the puncture wound in his chest.

"You missed my heart," he choked out, surprised. It was true. The sword had missed the heart, narrowly avoiding puncturing a lung. Sasuke didn't answer. He stooped in front of Suigetsu, and reached down for something.

It was the vial. When Suigetsu had last pressed it to his chest, dissolving into water, he had kept the vial tucked away inside of him, protected in an inner pocket of water. He swallowed. Sasuke hadn't missed; he had only extracted what he had been looking for by pushing it out with the sword. The point of the sword was suddenly pricking the tip of Suigetsu's nose, and he laughed.

"You're no hero," he repeated. Sasuke said nothing.

"You said you'd kill it. I said I'd kill it, for my own reasons, nothing personal. The whole fucking world wants it gone. Do us all a favor, Sasuke, and just drop the drug in his water yourself." The sword point flashed across his face, under his eye, sticking deep into Suigetsu's cheek. It stayed there. Suigetsu ground his pointed teeth together in pain.

"You're Tsunade's bitch now?" Sasuke asked softly. Suigetsu laughed a little.

"Like I was ever yours? Look, the drug won't kill Naruto, so stand aside and let me take care of this, or do it yourself." The sword point bit deeper.

"What's the big deal?" Suigetsu said again, "You get to keep your hands clean."

"Shut up before I really kill you." Sasuke breathed. Suigetsu snorted.

"You're pissing me off. You take on the job of killing your own kid, not even knowing if it's really going to be the demon it's rumored to be, and now when someone threatens to take the job away from you, you get all heroic."

"Stay away from him. Naruto is my business, and mine alone. I will deal with my responsibilities."

"Then keep the vial!" Suigetsu challenged. Sasuke looked at the vial in his hand. His red eyes shot up to Suigetsu, who quailed under the swirling irises. Under this gaze, he was no match for Sasuke alone, and he knew it. He could nothing but sit there and wait.

"It won't kill him?" Sasuke asked softly. Suigetsu exhaled slowly, not realizing he'd been holding his breath. His heart was racing, mouth dry. He licked his lips, trying to keep a relieved smile from twitching on his lips.

"No," Suigetsu assured him. But Sasuke's sword point stayed in Suigetsu's cheek, and Suigetsu counted the seconds as fat crimson drops oozed down his face, plopping in a pool of boggy mud by his knees. Sasuke's eyes met his.

"You'll be the judge of that," Sasuke whispered icily.

Suigetsu could have liquefied his form. He could have grabbed the sword, risking the deep gashes that would have surely sliced through his roughened palms, and pitted his strength against Sasuke's.

But either he didn't try to, or there wasn't enough time. He was never sure which. He was frozen in horror, but not utter disbelief. The cork flew off the glass lips of the vial, and Suigetsu struggled weakly, frozen under the horror of Mangekyo.

Sasuke's hand shot out, painfully grabbing a handful of white hair, and yanked Suigetsu's head back, forcing the liquid down his throat. Suigetsu choked on it, and when the last drop seeped past his lips, Sasuke released his hold on Suigetsu's hair, tossing the vial, only to slide his sword and slice Suigetsu's cheek open, from cheekbone to the corner of his mouth. His former teammate howled in pain. Sasuke released him in disgust as he writhed. Suigetsu screamed, holding his face, curling in on himself in the boggy, bloody puddle.

"Now, let's see what your little drug does. If it kills you, it will have done you a favor," Sasuke hissed. Suigetsu moaned, hands slick with dark blood as he groped at his face. Curses flew off Suigetsu's tongue, so many curses. He damned Sasuke to hell. Wished him death. Called him a coward. A pussy. Said he couldn't wait until Sasuke's actions backfired and left him without Naruto.

He finally stopped shouting and looked up at the full, bright moon, begging for the pain to stop.

Fire. There was a fire coursing through his belly. He coughed, spluttering, blood streaming into his mouth from the grotesque gash in his face. Sasuke watched, impassive, the only display of emotion in his porcelain features was the rage betrayed by his eyes.

Sasuke watched as gradually, Suigetsu began to groan, then scream, and finally claw at his stomach and succumb to great, heaving sobs, the gash in his cheek forgotten. Suigetsu was glistening with sweat, hair plastered to his forehead and hanging limply at his shoulders. He rolled onto his stomach, and vomited. Again, and again. He cried out as more pain seemed to lance through him. He begged for water. Sasuke sneered and looked away as his former teammate attempted to lap up murky water. In a fit of rage, Sasuke stamped his foot in the puddle, splashing mud over Suigetsu's moon pale face. Suigetsu, on his hands and knees, suddenly collapsed, landing face first in the mud.

Sasuke grabbed him by the hair, yanking him up again.

"Am I dead yet?" Suigetsu asked weakly.

"Not yet," Sasuke breathed. Suigetsu felt himself being dragged unmercifully through the cold, wet ground. The landscape changed from bog to dew covered grass as Sasuke continued to drag him. Then they stopped. By now, his body was shaking with chills from a fever, and his gut felt like it had burst only to burst open again, and his cheek seared with pain and bled. His vision was blurring. There were voices, a yelp of surprise, a hiss of outrage.

Suigetsu succumbed to darkness.

_You're no hero, Sasuke, _he thought as he lost consciousness.


	17. Dark Heart of an Avenger

_Dark Heart of an Avenger_

Golden sunlight from the warm afternoon sun drifted through the barred window of the prison, and Naruto leaned against the iron bars, blinking against it. He was secretly thankful for the warmth, because looking at the prisoner the iron held made his blood run cold.

He was watching the sick occupant of the cell toss, turn, and moan. Naruto's blue eyes had lost their mirth, his face set in stone. His jaw tightened as his teeth clenched.

The prisoner was Suigetsu.

Suigetsu had tried to poison him last night. Naruto looked away from him-this person who he had decided to label as a friend. He felt a sudden rush of nausea at the thought of Suigetsu's betrayal, and the lengths Sasuke had resorted to once he had discovered the treachery.

Naruto knew, with reluctant acceptance, that Sasuke was still the dark avenger he had always aspired to be. He would _always _be. Naruto could not ignore that. He had known there would always be a darkness that eclipsed his best friend, his lover. A darkness Naruto could never take away.

He thought of early that morning, and sighed, resting his forehead against the iron.

_Naruto heard the footsteps, felt the pulse of the presence of chakra, before the harsh rap at the door. He jackknifed into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and leaping from bed, grabbing a pair of sweatpants that hung haphazardly on the back of a chair._

_Sasuke was outside._

_He skidded to a halt in the hallway when he heard the cries of outrage, the shriek from Shima. He cringed at the smell of blood. Sasuke had Suigetsu by the hair and had thrown him, unmercifully, at the feet of the toads. In the blue-gray light of early dawn, the dark blood that covered Suigetsu's face and ran down his chest looked black._

_"The hell-?!" Naruto cried, coming forward, but the look in Sasuke's eyes made him pause. His eyes narrowed._

_"What did you do?" he whispered, feeling sick. Sasuke's face paled in his rage, eyes burning crimson._

_"Saved your ungrateful ass!" Sasuke hissed, and kicked the body on the floor when it moaned. Naruto growled, anger flooding him. Why was Sasuke doing this?_

_"Stop it! What the fuck is going on?" Naruto yelled, trying to curb his temper and destroy the fear that was nipping at the edge of his thoughts. He almost missed it; almost missed the look that was exchanged between Sasuke and Fukasaku. The old toad looked weary, frightened, and stunned. Sasuke looked furious beyond all words. They knew. Whatever had happened, they knew what it meant, and they were leaving him in the dark. It enraged him._

_"What happened to Suigetsu?" he asked through clenched teeth._

_"To bed with you, the stress isn't good for your condition." Shima urged, looking frightened and pale. Naruto shrugged her off._

_"What's happening?" he asked again. Sasuke locked eyes with him._

_"Go and rest, Naruto. I've taken care of it." Sasuke replied calmly. Infuriated, Naruto sliced at the air._

_"The hell I will!" he shouted._

_"Naruto!" Shima squeaked, eyes bulging. It was obvious she didn't trust Naruto to stay out of conflict. "Please!"_

_"He is your _friend_!" Naruto cried, disbelief coursing through him. Sasuke's nostrils flared._

_"I don't _need_ friends," Sasuke said. Naruto paused, staring at him, strangely stung._

_"Never a friend," Suigetsu rasped suddenly, "He's incapable of loving anyone." Sasuke's red eyes seemed to blaze at these words, and before anyone could move, the sword swung in a fearsome arc. Shima cried out, Fukasaku yelled, but in the end, it was Naruto who brought Sasuke back to reality._

_Naruto. Brave, impulsive Naruto. Sasuke blinked, mask breaking once he realized what had happened. Naruto had moved quick as lightning, and was crouched before Suigetsu, blocking the sword. Not having had enough time, he had caught the sword with his hand. Blood rushed down his arm, staining the carpet._

_"Put it down, Sasuke. I said _put it down_! Now! You don't want to do this, Sasuke," Naruto growled. Sasuke's eyes widened, enraged. For a moment, Sasuke looked dangerous, wild, but Naruto didn't move, and Sasuke didn't do anything. Sasuke plucked the sword out of Naruto's hand, staring at the deep gash with an unreadable expression as Naruto grimaced and bent over his hand. Sasuke cursed under his breath and looked away._

_Naruto thought he heard Sasuke mutter, "Why would you do that?" Naruto didn't say anything in response._

_Naruto winced when Shima immediately fussed over him. The sword had sliced to the bone._

_"Take care of him," Sasuke had growled at Fukasaku before leaving swiftly. Naruto had watched him until he could no longer see Sasuke's silhouette against the gray dawn._

_He wondered what he had just beared witness to._

Had Sasuke gone too far?

There was no denying that Uchiha had thirsted for a little blood in his rage. If the situation had been reversed, Naruto could say he would have never resorted to such measures on a person he had come to think as a friend. He would, however, have still banged up Suigetsu pretty badly in his rage at such a betrayal.

Sasuke had refused to elaborate on what had happened. In fact, he had been away training most of the day, ignoring Naruto whenever he came to watch and(unsuccessfully) attempt to talk to him. But Naruto needed to know. He needed to discover what would have caused Sasuke to go so far, to become the dark avenger Naruto had once seen, and what Suigetsu had done to land himself in the prison.

He did not understand why no one was letting him in on the incident, and he was furious about it. Defeated, confused, and upset, Naruto had returned to the toads' cottage after trying to talk to Sasuke.

Shima had been out, foraging for Fukasaku's favorite caterpillar stew.

He had returned to find Fukasaku sitting at the table in the kitchen, brooding over a cold cup of tea. Naruto paused in the doorway. The old toad looked to be deep in thought, the wrinkles around his eyes creased deeply as his gray brows furrowed.

Naruto still remembered their conversation word for word.

_"I suppose you should know," the old toad said suddenly. Naruto's head shot up, and he waited, eager for an answer._

_"Suigetsu was on a mission given to him by Tsunade. He acted as a spy in exchange for amnesty and his life. The Hokage understood the position we put her in, and knew she would be unable to do anything about your…situation. It is her firm belief that the child is beyond dangerous. __You must understand. She believes she is protecting you. She cares for you, and you mustn't misunderstand her intentions. Our council put her in this position. We had only hoped she wouldn't go this far."_

_Naruto swallowed, throat dry. Silence reigned for what felt like too long, before he finally spoke. "He was supposed to do away with it, wasn't he?" he asked, dreading the answer._

_Fukasaku sipped his cold tea and grimaced before answering, "Suigetsu was to slip you an experimental drug. Tsunade had apparently done a lot of research, and she developed a drug she believed would penetrate your body's tough defenses, and the Kyuubi's. It was very potent. If it had been administered to you, I doubt you would have suffered more than bad stomach pains while losing the child. On Suigetsu, however, it completely poisoned his system, and he is dangerously ill-"_

_"Wait," Naruto interjected. The toad was talking fast, and he had failed to elaborate on _why_ Suigetsu was so ill. Fukasaku had made it sound as though…as though Suigetsu had taken the drug himself. Noticing the look on Naruto's face, Fukasaku nodded._

_"Sasuke caught him before he could reach you last night, and he…punished him." Naruto felt bile creep up the back of his throat at this revelation, and he swallowed again. He looked away. Fukasaku shook his head sternly._

_"Don't look like that. You knew the dangers of your decision. You knew you would have friends who would prove to be otherwise in this situation. You knew that, in the end, you would make enemies!" Fukasaku said. Naruto closed his eyes._

_"It's just a baby-"_

_"Look around you, boy! Look at what your own Hokage resorted to because of this _baby_. Naruto, our world is already being pulled at the seams by this war, this child only stretches the string tighter and thinner. It scares the people you fight for. The peace or respect allies have with each other will become brittle once it becomes known. So far, Tsunade has kept the information well guarded, and she's done a damn good job. I cannot imagine the type of trouble that will brew between the Leaf's allies once the secret is out. It is important, in the midst of such a war, to have those allies."_

_Naruto listened with growing unease. "What are you saying I should do?" he demanded. Fukasaku paused, not meeting his eyes._

_"That is for you to decide. I'm only trying to warn you. It's going to get ugly. Look at what your Hokage had to resort to. I'm afraid there will be many more we cannot trust. Even worse, Madara is nowhere to be seen. His absence brings me no relief. I fear something far more sinister is at hand."_

_Naruto pulled a face, angry. "He is trying to breed fear and paranoia by staying out of sight! It's a fear tactic. Where else has he got to go? He has all the Tailed Beasts, save for me, and the Sanbi is gone. Without the power of the Kyuubi, and a replacement for the Sanbi, he cannot live up to his threat. He cannot reach Mount Myoboku. The passageway is impossible to find-"_

_"Almost impossible." Fukasaku corrected. Naruto reddened._

_"Naruto, you know better than anyone. For the greater good, you must make sacrifices," Fukasaku said quietly. Naruto felt a chill creeping up his spine._

_"What are you saying I should do?" he asked again, voice hoarse. Fukasaku closed his eyes like he was the weariest toad on the mountain._

_"If you ever cross paths with Madara…promise me you'll make the right decision. Promise me that whatever happens, you'll see the reason behind it."_

_Naruto thought quickly. "What sort of secret have you and Sasuke been keeping from me?"_

_"If you were faced with the life of the unborn child versus the well being of our world-"_

_Naruto cut him off angrily. "That won't happen!" he said harshly, and he thought of Sasuke, and their conversation so many nights ago. He felt ill. From within him, the child nudged him, pushing out with tiny feet, as if sensing its parent's distress._

_Fukasaku studied him._

_"Perhaps not." Fukasaku conceded, and grimaced as he took another sip of cold tea. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, before Naruto sliced through it._

_"You don't believe that, do you?" he accused._

_"There are many things one does not believe in, but faith is of a different matter. I'm not here to tell you not to have faith."_

_"You're beating around the bush." Naruto growled, irritated._

_"No, I think you already know, you just don't want to face it," Fukasaku retorted. Naruto inhaled an aggravated breath, nostrils flaring. He turned away._

So angry was he with the toad sage that Naruto left Fukasaku sitting solemnly at the table with a couple choice words he now wished he had not thrown the old toad's way. His wanderings had brought him to the prison, as he was flooded with memories of Sasuke once sitting in the same cell, bathed in shadow, eclipsed by a darker truth than Naruto had cared to think about. He rested his head against the rusted iron, his heart heavy.

He was forced to face reality: Sasuke and Fukasaku had concocted a plan…without Naruto's consent. Why else would the toad allude to "making the right decision" and "seeing the reason behind it" when crossing paths with Madara? Suddenly, Naruto realized how alone in keeping this child he truly was. It hit him like a brick in his gut, and he closed his eyes. Fukasaku's voice lanced through his thoughts.

_Peace between the allies is brittle enough…Look what your Hokage had to resort to…Promise me you'll make the right decision._

Naruto was pushing against the current. The war was looming overhead, as ominous as a giant thundercloud spitting lightning, and the one who had created it wanted only two things: Naruto and the child. Naruto had always known the dangers, had always anticipated the fight, and had heard the doubt and fear of others in the back of his mind.

What was the purpose, then, of hiding him here, only to allow the one within him to develop and grow? Why listen to what he, Naruto, wanted instead of taking action against him and stopping it before all hell broke loose?

He knew it was because of the prophecy. The toads were afraid to go against the Great Elder's dream. The Great Elder believed the child should be born, should live, for the greater good of the world. The toads had hope. They believed that one day, the right path would be taken. Fukasaku, on the other hand, seemed to have his doubts. Unlike Tsunade, who would rather do away with the child, Fukasaku seemed to Naruto like he might be slightly more curious. It seemed the old toad was content to watch things unfurl as they should. Still…

There was a plan. There had be a plan, but what? It was almost impossible to reach the child without killing Naruto himself, and even that would prove difficult. He had known that abortion would be an incredibly risky procedure; only one medic nin was capable of succeeding, and she was long dead, her secrets buried with her. The chances of Tsunade's drug being successful, Naruto guessed, hadn't been great, but she had taken the risk anyway.

Thoughts of the Fifth gave way to fury and something melancholy that Naruto wished would go away.

Suigetsu moaned and stirred, and Naruto felt a sudden surge of anger and resentment towards him. The past three months had been peaceful. His relationship with Sasuke had blossomed, at least enough for Sasuke to sometimes divulge his inner thoughts to Naruto, which he treasured and thought to be progress. In these three months, Naruto had seen again what had captivated him about Sasuke during his genin days. He had seen Sasuke smile, seen Sasuke be gentle, been on the receiving end of Sasuke telling Naruto stories of his childhood. And then there had been Suigetsu. Naruto had thought he had made a new friend in Suigetsu, and had thought Fukasaku _believed_ in him.

So much for faith, he thought bitterly.

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto started, surprised to hear Sasuke's low voice. His gaze swiveled over to Sasuke, and narrowed in suspicion.

"I could ask you the same thing," he retorted. Sasuke scowled, but then his face fell. If Naruto hadn't known any better, he would have said Sasuke looked embarrassed. Sheepish, even. In only way Sasuke can look sheepish, which is to say he looked pissed off.

"I was looking for you," he admitted unhappily. There was a silence as Naruto once again looked to Suigetsu.

"What are you planning, Sasuke?" he asked quietly. Sasuke's brow furrowed in question. He looked tired.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You and Fukasaku, what are you planning to do if Madara ever shows up?" Naruto's voice rose in anger. Sasuke studied him for a moment, then turned his back to Naruto and started on his way out of this small prison.

"I'm not dealing with this right now," he said, clearly irritated. Naruto watched him go, wondering what Sasuke could be thinking, before staring after him with a curse.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had hoped for a little peace with Naruto, had hoped for a little understanding. Some relief from the poison of his own thoughts. Sasuke was a person who didn't admit he was looking for a little affection, and he'd be damned if he was caught seeking it.<p>

It was easier to approach Naruto and have him come forward. Naruto was always eager for a touch, a kiss, an embrace. Sometimes, it was easier to have him instigate it. Any actions after that Sasuke didn't think twice about.

Admitting vulnerability, even in such a small action such as reaching out for a person emotionally, didn't bode well with Sasuke, who had been alone for nearly four years, who hadn't been touched, who hadn't needed to feel that warmth. It was jarring. It wasn't a big deal instigating sex, but it was another matter entirely to reach out for the sake of simply feeling Naruto's warm skin against his, to feel connected.

It was frightening, most of all, admitting it.

All he had needed before was a purpose and his carefully nurtured hatred. Needing human contact with such a _bright_ person felt like a weakness to the young man who had proven himself to be a cold, ruthless avenger; a person who defied human weaknesses for the sake of a dark purpose. Yes, not being truly touched, and not having felt such strong emotion that didn't border on something wrathful towards another person (besides Itachi) in years did a number on someone when such an opportunity finally presented itself. Especially if said person was proud at their core.

Naruto watched Sasuke walk down the hallway, and, as Sasuke predicted (or rather, had hoped) Naruto called out to him.

"Wait."

So Sasuke waited, but he didn't turn around. He kept his eyes fixed on the door ahead, his body tense. Waiting for a touch with a rapidly beating heart. His muscles slowly began to relax when he felt Naruto approach, felt a warm hand grip his shoulder gently. He finally let out a long, relaxed breath when Naruto slowly slid his arm around Sasuke's waist and pressed against his back.

Somewhere far off, a gong sounded, but neither paid it any mind. Prayers were beginning at the toad temple, he assumed.

Naruto's lips whispered across the skin on the back of his neck. Sasuke suppressed a shiver.

"Don't keep this from me. Not from me," Naruto whispered. It was a vain attempt. Sasuke sighed, and gently removed Naruto's hands.

"Don't," he said gruffly. He noticed how still Naruto had become; he could imagine the dark, angry eyes. With a bit of a jolt, Sasuke realized he was keeping Naruto at bay, distancing himself, making it harder to connect.

He turned, meeting Naruto's eyes, not sure what to say, and terribly irritated about it (he thought of just walking away and avoiding it altogether), when Naruto took his hand with a grim determination. Sasuke swallowed as his fingers were splayed against the still taut and firm stomach. It angered him. What was Naruto trying to pull?

"Wait," Naruto ordered. So Sasuke waited, unsure of why he was cooperating, when he felt it: the slightest of nudges, the unmistakable evidence of life. Sasuke snatched his hand away.

"Don't," Sasuke repeated, mouth dry. He stopped himself from thinking past that: _don't._ Naruto looked fierce.

"This is what happened, Sasuke. You can't keep avoiding it, just like you can't keep avoiding me. Now tell me, what is your plan?" Naruto' voice was rough, demanding, edged with emotion. There was a tense silence.

Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he'd needed to reach out to Naruto so badly, than in that moment.

"Naruto-" He began, reaching out, but stopped suddenly. Naruto had frozen as well. There was a rumble in the ground that seemed to make the very air shiver. A loud _boom_ that rattled the earth.

Sasuke flew towards Naruto, grabbing his hand. The normally warm, soft hand, Sasuke noted, had suddenly turned cold and clammy.

It had happened.


	18. Venom

_Venom_

**1 week earlier**

The life of a snake was equivalent to that of an assassin: silent, lethal, and most importantly, secretive. A snake was a master at staying hidden, of carefully avoiding dangers, and keeping its agendas unknown to those looking for it; and if, by chance, it was found by those searching for its elusive self, it transformed. The once shy snake became a killer, death by poison.

It was these traits that kept the snake, despite being pale as bone, unnoticed by its prey as it lay coiled beneath foliage, golden unblinking eyes locked on a small crimson toad that had suddenly appeared at the base of a tree, looking flustered. The toad looked about wildly, obviously paranoid, as if it were afraid of being followed. Finally, it pulled out a handkerchief and mopped its glistening brow, muttering to itself.

"I can't keep this up. I can't do this. It's only a matter of time before I'm caught! What will they do to me then?" the toad croaked miserably. Indeed, the creature looked beyond vexed, and terribly afraid.

The snake remained motionless, silently cursing the cold air that surged beneath the bush it lay hidden beneath as the wind gusted.

Suddenly there was a disturbance in the air, and the snake lifted its head curiously, its interest piqued. A masked figure appeared, walking towards the toad. From its cloak, the human produced a vial and a coiled piece of parchment wrapped around it with twine. The toad took it uneasily. The snake's forked tongue flicked out from its mouth to taste the air as it hummed with the deep bass of the masked human's voice.

Instructions, the snake realized. The masked figure was speaking to the toad rapidly, lowly, but snippets of words were caught by the unnoticed spy.

_Drug…Have him drink…Lady Tsunade has theorized…instructions here…Suigetsu._

Ah, there was a winning word. A name, the snake reminded itself thoughtfully, as it coiled itself tighter. A most pleasing sense of victory coursed through the serpent. The toad thanked the masked figure and carefully placed the vial in an inner pocket after wrapping the glass tube in its sweaty handkerchief. By now, the ninja had disappeared…

And so had the snake.

3 months of tracking, collecting information, and careful observation had led to this moment. The toads were not easy creatures to catch by surprise. If frightened, all the small toad had to do was quickly vanish to safety. It had proven extremely difficult to catch this particular toad that had split its loyalties. Often, he vanished before there was much time to move, and yet again, he had to be tracked and observed. The timing had to be absolutely perfect. The toad could not be given a chance to escape alive and report its attack.

Today, however, was different. The toad's work was beginning to wear on him, and for a very brief moment, he hesitated. It was the moment the snake had been waiting for. The toad had only delayed himself by mere seconds, but it was enough.

The instant the little red toad realized he wasn't alone, he found himself too frightened to disappear. Large, unblinking golden eyes held him in a trance. The toad tried to utter a sound, but all that escaped was a whimper. Before him, the snake swayed as it raised itself, its forked tongue tasting the crimson skin on the toad's forehead as it flicked out of the serpentine mouth.

"I knew this job would kill me," the toad sobbed.

The snake struck.

...

Miles away, Kabuto swayed as he felt himself mentally return to his body. His eyes snapped open, revealing molten gold irises. He was standing by a large oak, his palm resting on the bark. A cold wind whispered past, ruffling the red cloak he wore.

"Well?" a voice prompted. Kabuto grinned.

"It is done," he whispered. Suddenly Madara was close, very close, and Kabuto tensed. The masked face was close enough to whisper in his ear, and the voice flitted through the mask in a hiss.

"You've been helpful, Kabuto, but remember, one misstep and you'll wish you had never sought me out." As he said it, Madara swept a finger along Kabuto's pale throat to emphasize his point.

Kabuto shuddered.

"It doesn't matter. We're in," he said in a voice so smooth, even he convinced himself of his false sense of security. Madara had been tense, on edge, the entire mission. It _had_ to be perfect. There was no room for error. The last opportunity Kabuto had had at the toad…

Well.

His fingers subconsciously traced a thick scar that roped down the side of his neck, from the base of his ear to the hollow between his collar bones. He swallowed, trying to smother the intense rage that threatened to spill forth. _No, not now. Later,_ he promised himself. _Soon Madara will pay. _The dangerous game he played would pay off in the end, and Madara would fall.

The _world_ would fall…

And Orochimaru, the teacher that Kabuto had both despised and coveted, would be returned to him. If only for the roles to be reversed. It gave the medic nin a sick satisfaction to imagine the sannin, roughly pulled away from a spiritual hell to a mortal one. At first, Kabuto had only planned to steal Orochimaru's technique in order to use on himself to defeat death, to achieve the goal of his life's work. He would leave Orochimaru to rot in whatever hell he'd put himself in.

And Kabuto had thought he would be satisfied.

But then, like a virus eating at his brain, he found he was sick of allowing the sannin his punishment, and wanted him back. Life wasn't as sweet without the sannin hissing in his ear. And so the Plan had begun, shortly after Kabuto had discovered Madara's intentions, and come across a most interesting discovery. One that would shake the world if he had shared it.

But for now, he kept it. And he waited for the right moment.

The side effects of Orochimaru's technique were making themselves known on Kabuto's body: the blend of snake-like characteristics along with his human features, the permanent change in his eye color, the patch of pearly scales on his cheek that he couldn't rid himself of…not that he minded the eyes. He guessed Madara, upon seeing this all, had believed he had figured Kabuto out. A wannabe Orochimaru who had waded in too deep, but even the ancient Uchiha could be fooled. Not only was Kabuto using Orochimaru's rebirth technique to make himself stronger…

A part of Orochimaru literally lived inside him, very much like a small part of Orochimaru still lived within Sasuke. This piece of Orochimaru gave Kabuto the power he so desperately needed in order to keep the jutsu going. Dark jutsus bordering on taboos had been cast, dangerous deals made, and blood spilled, all to covet a small piece of Orochimaru's essence and soul that Itachi had pulled from Sasuke's body with the curse mark the day the brothers' infamous battle had taken place.

Kabuto hadn't been too far behind, carefully hidden, aware of the Akatsuki's presence and interest in the battle. He had waited for an opening before stealing Itachi away.

Unknown to Sasuke, who had believed his brother to have died suddenly while closing on him, Itachi had been hanging to life by a thread, although there was no way to preserve the life slowly leaking from him. The eldest Uchiha brother had been brought down by a deadly degenerative disease, most likely hereditary. Kabuto performed his "miracles" and tapped into Itachi's brain while the Uchiha still lived.

Using the information he gained from his probing, and ending Itachi's life in the process, Kabuto was able to extract a small portion of his former teacher from the hell Itachi had imprisoned him in, just enough of Orochimaru in order to give Kabuto the power he needed.

It was also just enough of the sannin in order to bring him back…somewhat. It was why Kabuto needed Sasuke. The youngest Uchiha held the final piece inside of him; something the taking away of the curse mark hadn't destroyed. A little bit of Orochimaru still lived within Sasuke. Just a little.

Resurrecting the dead completely was impossible. No jutsu or any sort of magic could make a dead heart beat again. However, Orochimaru had never physically died. He had been preserved and had hopped unwillingly from body to body, beginning with Sasuke's absorption of the sannin.

Now a part of Orochimaru resided within Kabuto, and the thought made the medic nin shudder in pleasure and victory. A twisted part of him, a part so blackened by his younger years of abuse and obsessive longing, couldn't wait to play with his former master as if he were mere clay to be molded in his own hands.

Madara's voice brought him back down to earth.

"-Give it time," Madara was saying. "Don't do it immediately, we wouldn't want to be figured out. Let's wait a few days. A week, even. Gather information. It needs to be _perfect._" Kabuto nodded at his order, seemingly obedient and silent.

"You've done well," Madara surprised him by saying. His voice had softened. Kabuto allowed himself a smirk.

"You pushed me to do well, my Lord," Kabuto answered, purely to please the troubled masked figure beside him. Madara faced him, red eye boring into his golden ones. A gloved hand reached out slowly, tracing the horrid scar.

"Yes. Yes I did," Madara whispered. Kabuto repressed another shudder, disgusted by the contact, but he remained expressionless, eyes locked on the mountainous landscape spread before him. He imagined it engulfed in flame.

* * *

><p>AN: Can't believe how long I had some of these chapters go in one read! Hopefully breaking them up like this makes them easier (and quicker!) to read!


	19. Fire and Blood

_Fire and Blood_

The bright, orange hue of the horizon might have been mistaken for the setting of the sun, given the time of day. However, a closer look would bring any observer to come to the conclusion that what they were witnessing was not a sunset, but the glow of a raging fire.

It had begun during Fukasaku's daily trip to the Elder Temple to pray and be guided by the many mysteries of wisdom offered by the Great Elder. Although he was old and well versed in life and its many paths and meanings, he still sought Enlightenment: the ability to be considered wise enough to be an considered an Elder. Enlightenment could take a lifetime of devotion to reach.

The Great Elder and his apprentices, including the little red nephew of his, were burning incense and praying to the gods. The Great Elder was soaking in a large pool, the crystal clear water revealing hundreds of brightly colored koi. Their golden, orange, red, and white scales glimmered in the water like the reflection of a jewel in the sun.

It was a peaceful place. Fukasaku bowed deeply.

"Great Elder, I come this day in the hopes that I, too, may be gifted with your wisdom."

"Fukasaku," The Great Elder rumbled in greeting, shifting in the water. "It is most pleasurable to see you. I was thinking of you, old friend-" The giant toad began to ramble, when a sudden clanging sound caused Fukasaku to start and look sharply over at the apprentices.

The small red toad, Junichi, seemed strangely out of sorts. He had dropped the golden platter holding the burning incense. Fukasaku frowned. Junichi automatically moved to pick up the platter while he was berated by his peers.

But the little toad didn't seem deterred by the obvious disapproval of his friends and pond mates. He seemed distant, strangely so. His gold and black eyes followed voices, but did not seem to register what was being said. His movements were almost robotic and twitchy. Fukasaku grimaced but turned his attention back to the Great Elder.

"Junichi appears a little distant today." Fukasaku observed. The Great Elder sighed, sagging in the water.

"Since last night, when Suigetsu was imprisoned, I noticed he began acting peculiar. Although, this whole week, he has been quite reserved." The Elder confided in a raspy whisper. Fukasaku bristled.

"You do not suppose-"

"I have. I have wondered if Junichi was involved."

"Great Elder, if you are suspicious, that is grounds enough to interrogate him-"

"I will speak to the lad, have no fear. He is my sister's great grandson. If I come to find what I suspect, he shall not escape justice."

"Justice," Fukasaku echoed. "The Leaf attempted to poison Naruto-!"

The voices of the apprentices suddenly grew louder, a great croaking of dismay and fear. Junichi was twitching on the mossy stone, eyes blank. Fukasaku grabbed his staff, a new suspicion forming in his mind. He hopped forward, noticing that the Great Elder was rising from the pool, discontent, water sloshing and falling forward, spraying the stone within a a few feet from the pool's edge with warm water. Fukasaku was running now, as one apprentice knelt by the seizing toad.

"Get away from him! I said get away!" Fukasaku cried, but the toad reached out anyway, attempting to hold Junichi in place. Immediately, dozens of large white snakes poured forth from Junichi's body, sprouting from the abdomen, and rising, rising, rising, and growing, until their heads reached the ceiling and the poison from their fangs fell in large drops the size of small melons as they hissed. What was left of Junichi's body lay deflated and surrounded by gore.

Screams tore from the throats of the toads, and many tried to run. The snakes immediately began devouring the small toads, making a game of their fear. Fukasaku was frozen in horror, weak in the knees…

"No. NO!" he screamed, despairing. The day had arrived. The Akatsuki had infiltrated the Toad Lands. Naruto and the child were no longer safe.

"Fukasaku, with me!" the Great Elder roared, and aimed a water jet powerful enough to slice through rock towards the snakes. He decapitated one or two, but for every head that rolled, another sprouted in its place. With a roar, the Great Elder sprang towards the snakes, in the process of ripping away a giant katana that was held to its place on the wall by flowering vines.

He sprang forth, hitting the handle of the blade across a giant gong. The sounds of screams, the snakes fearsome hissing, and the ominous sound of the gong filled the air with chaos. The steel of the katana the Great Elder brandished began to glow with energy.

Fukasaku sprang forward, enabling senjutsu as he ran. Without Shima by his side, his choices for an offensive attack were limited. The snakes bowled towards them in a giant mass, dark mouths open and fangs bared.

"We must get its heart! Destroy Junichi's body! Do not remove any snake heads!" the Elder cried. Nodding in understanding, Fukasaku braced himself. In less than a second, the snakes were upon them.

The Great Elder, as old as he was, was fearsome to behold in battle. He dodged deftly, stabbing the snakes instead of going for their heads. As he ripped his blade from the heart of one snake, he brought up his weapon and hit the snake behind him with such brute force that the snake went flying backwards, slamming into stone pillars. The pillars crumbled, and half of the temple roof collapsed in on itself in one large slide of stone and debris.

While the Great Elder fought, Fukasaku was winding in and out of the melee, trying to get at the flat piece of skin that was once Junichi. The body appeared to be some sort of portal. The gong had signaled Gamakichi, Gamabunta, and Gamaken, who were now joining the fight, the shock in their eyes defying the ease with which they moved into battle.

Fukasaku cried out as a snake struck at him. He narrowly escaped, only to almost be caught in the fearsome maw of another. With his staff he jabbed, and he sent water jets, hoping to pierce the scales and shoot a deadly jet of water into a heart. But for now, killing the snakes wasn't his priority. He was only trying to get past them. The Great Elder had entrusted him with an enormous responsibility. It was his size that was advantageous.

Junichi's body was in sight, only yards away, and something was beginning to rise from it. The creature that erupted from Junichi's body was not a snake, although by the look of his face he might as well have been.

Golden eyes found Fukasaku immediately, and the pale silver haired man grinned crookedly. Half of his face was covered in opaque white scales. Fukasaku roared in rage, raising his staff and charging, but at that moment, Kabuto Yakushi stepped nimbly from the body of Junichi and did a quick seal.

The world was ablaze. That was Fukasaku's first thought. There had been a deafening bang, and Fukasaku guessed he had lost his hearing in his right ear, judging by the strange muffled silence on one side of him. Flames engulfed the temple, now in ruins. He rolled over, in agony, covered in burns. The snakes, save for the burned and dying, and Kabuto had disappeared. All that was left was ruin, flames, and the stench of burning flesh. He rose quickly, righting himself, forgetting the pain.

He froze at what he saw.

Gamabunta lay dead in the pool the Great Elder had been sitting in just moments earlier, scorched almost beyond recognition. The water had turned a ruby red, and the beautiful koi that had once inhabited it floated on the water's surface on their backs, lifeless and colorless in death.

His stomach churned, and his heart seemed to plunge into it. Fukasaku forced himself to walk past the shock, anger, and pain.

"Fukasaku!" Gamakichi roared. The toad sage turned numbly towards the left, and his heart dropped once more. Gamaken and Gamakichi were helping the Great Elder to his feet, but the massive toad seemed to be suffering from a fatal wound, as well as a few burns. Fukasaku raced forward.

"At the moment of a blast, a snake struck him in the chest." Gamakichi panted, trying to staunch the Great Elder's blood flow with his singed vest. Fukasaku stared miserably, meeting the Great Elder's eyes, which seemed to see him. In those eyes, he saw death.

The Great Elder wheezed, and Fukasaku bowed his head, remaining motionless, while Gamakichi cried out and kept trying to staunch the wound.

"Fukasaku!" Gamakichi cried angrily. "Do something!" Fukasaku looked to Gamaken, who seemed to understand, and the quiet toad backed away hesitantly, great tears pooling in his eyes, blood dripping from his own forgotten wounds.

"Why aren't you doing anything? He's dying! We have to help him!" Gamakichi shouted, pressing his blood soaked vest against the Great Elder's chest harder, though blood still flowed in streams past it. The Great Elder reached up, grabbing Gamakichi's hand.

"These are my last moments," he whispered. Gamakichi grew wide-eyed and backed away, letting his destroyed vest fall. He blinked, as if realizing something.

"My father," He said suddenly, looking about. "Where is he?" There was a pleading tone to his voice. Fukasaku did not meet his frenzied eyes.

"In the pool," he said quietly. Gamakichi looked sick, but looked back, observing his surroundings. He let out a terrible howl at the sight of his father and kneeled in the rubble, great choking sobs erupting from him.

"Enough." The Great Elder thundered, although it took a moment for Gamakichi to somewhat compose himself. Massive tears rolled off his skin, and his face was twisted with rage.

"I have but moments left…you must…find Naruto and Sasuke…keep the child away from Madara…at all costs. Fukasaku, you must…ensure…" He didn't finish. With those final words, the Great Elder slumped against a broken stone pillar and was forever silent. Gamakichi howled again, but this time he rose with his sword.

"I'll gut them and bind them with their innards while they scream." He yelled, in a voice so thick with hatred it was hardly recognizable. Fukasaku raced over to him.

"Rage will only blind you. We must move quickly. We must ensure Kabuto and Madara don't capture Naruto."

"They won't touch him." Gamakichi swore viciously. Fukasaku looked to the body of the Great Elder, bowed his head, said a prayer. Noticing the debris the Great Elder lay in (mostly the great vines that had held the katana, and broken trees littered by the pillar) he tossed a burning branch, and watched the fire catch.

"We must hurry." He croaked. So they ran through the heat, past their lush haven glowing like a sunset as it burned.

* * *

><p>Naruto was coughing, his lungs seared with heat and smoke, yet he ran alongside Sasuke as he never had before.<p>

"Over here!" a voice screeched. It was Shima, looking frightened, her green face ghastly pale. She took their hands as they rushed over.

"He'll be here any moment, I'm going to send you out of here-" A ball of fire erupted overhead, another explosion. Sasuke looked on with intense focus, and Naruto could see the bloodlust in his gaze. Sasuke wanted to fight, not run. Instead, the Uchiha turned his gaze, however reluctantly, and looked to Shima. Naruto could sympathize. The rage he felt at the devastation was consuming. He wanted to fight back so badly he was shaking.

"Now!" Sasuke growled. Shaking, Shima nodded, forming seals with clumsy hands.

"I see you, Sasuke Uchiha!" a voice hissed above the pandemonium the instant before they disappeared. Sasuke's eyes widened, seeing Kabuto wreathed in flame yet unburnt, burning whatever he passed, riding atop the head of a giant white snake. It sped towards them.

The world spiraled as as they disappeared, but Naruto saw Shima leap into action, shooting a water jet, but even her water didn't eat through the fireball that consumed her. Naruto screamed, struggling against the pull, but Sasuke held him in place, and then they were gone.

Naruto shoved Sasuke off him as soon as soon as they hit forest ground, tears blurring his vision.

"Shima!" he shouted, devastated, his tears making clean paths down his dirtied face. How? He wondered frantically. He threw a punch into the trunk of the tree he was leaning against, leaving a decent dent in the bark.

"And I ran," he whispered, hating himself more as the seconds trickled past. Sasuke stood motionless feet away.

"I ran!" Naruto growled again, slamming his fist against the trunk so hard the bark splintered. "They destroyed Mount Myoboku and I _ran_, leaving them to fend for themselves." He banged on the tree again in his fury.

"You couldn't have fought anyway." Sasuke reminded him. Naruto whirled around.

"Shima is dead because of me-"

"Yes, she is. Dead because you decided to keep the child. Poor, selfish you." Sasuke said coldly. Naruto froze at the harsh words. Sasuke was wearing a stony expression. Naruto's eyes flashed red.

"Fuck you-!" he snarled, but Sasuke cut him off.

"Want me to say more? You put them all at risk just by being there. You put your village, and those you love at risk the moment you decided you wouldn't be able to fight for them. There. Do you want more? Keep blaming yourself for everything that happens when you know damn well you can't control it. You can make yourself feel like shit, or you can mourn their losses and be grateful that they were willing to risk their lives for you. You can respect their memories by realizing they were fearless and loyal."

Naruto paused, feeling sapped of strength. Sasuke's words hit home. Still the tears came.

"I still-"

"No." Sasuke cut him off, moving towards him so he was only inches away. He placed his hands comfortingly on Naruto's shoulders. "You couldn't have. If anyone could trust their lives with someone, it would be with you. That's why they were so eager to do the same for you."

Naruto sucked in a breath at Sasuke's words. It was a rare, intimate moment.

"Let's get going. We can't stall much longer. You'll have time to mourn later," Sasuke said quietly. Naruto paused, taking a moment to take in their surroundings. He grew uneasy.

"We're near Konoha," he observed. Sasuke seemed unperturbed by this.

"I know," Sasuke answered in that offhanded, arrogant way of his. Naruto frowned.

"We should avoid Konoha for now. Tsunade's out for your blood. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that the Akatsuki is after us, we have no idea what Kabuto's true potential is or that he's even truly sided with Madara. I'm thinking we could be facing two deadly opponents with different ambitions that may both boil down to the kid. You can't fight as great as you should, so technically we're not a team. If word gets out, you can bet your ass most of the ninja world is going to be against us. We need allies, even if they stick us at knifepoint."

Naruto grunted, then looked to the sky.

"We won't reach it before night falls. We should make camp," he suggested. It was true, darkness was almost upon them. The sky burned a brilliant pink and orange on the horizon, reminding Naruto of the fires raging in Mount Myoboku. He closed his eyes a moment, letting the rage lick at him. Mourn them later.

Naruto exhaled, then followed after Sasuke, the duo disappearing into the thick canopy above them.

That night, they slept in the trees.

* * *

><p>Naruto howled in rage and pain. Before him lay ruin and demise. The earth was scarred and gouged into its belly. Fires cackled and consumed the charred debris of what had once been a mighty temple. Fire raced and sputtered to life in many different places. It was hard to believe a village had once stood in the area. He was reminded of Pain's vicious attack, only this somehow looked worse.<p>

Blood, smoke, burning wood and flesh. Those were the scents that filled his nostrils, made his lungs burn. The sky roiled, an ugly gray-green, the clouds restless. A great red eye appeared from behind the clouds, wide and burning, dancing with delight at Naruto's rage.

"_Will you let them burn, Naruto_?" Madara's voice boomed. "_Will you let them burn at my hand for the one curled in your belly_?"

Naruto could feel heat coursing him through him, the Kyuubi's chakra and strength. He shook almost violently as he attempted to ward it off.

"I'll kill you," he snarled, his body bending with the attempt at keeping the Kyuubi at bay. By now he was glowing a soft crimson, his eyes red as blood, nails elongated to claws, and teeth sharpened to fangs.

"I'll kill you with my bare hands!" A terrible cry ripped from his throat, and he leapt at the sky, feeling as though he could touch the clouds.

...

Sasuke woke to a strangled sound that was bubbling in Naruto's throat. Naruto had been restless most of the night, much to Sasuke's irritation, but this was different. He was upright in an instant, hovering by Naruto's side, watching intently. They were sleeping almost fifty feet above the ground, in a tree with a thick trunk and branches.

A growl rumbled in Naruto's throat again, and suddenly Sasuke could feel the heat. His brow furrowed, and he waited. He watched in astonishment as a light red glow suddenly enveloped Naruto. It was weak, nothing like Sasuke could remember it being at full strength. He bit back a curse and grabbed Naruto roughly, shaking him.

"Wake up! Naruto!"

Naruto woke with a snarl, quick as lightning, he slashed out with the kunai he had fallen asleep holding. Sasuke stopped the wickend point from sticking him between the eyes by grabbing Naruto's wrist with bruising strength. Naruto was breathing raggedly, eyes red, but then he seemed to realize where he was. His eye color cooled to blue, and the red glow disappeared. He was still breathing harshly, and sweat beaded his upper lip. His Adam's apple bobbed as he lowered the kunai, eyes wide and glassy.

"I was only dreaming," Naruto murmured, eyes downcast as if in shame. Sasuke frowned.

"Only a dream," he echoed.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said after a moment, looking worn and confused. Sasuke held his tongue.

"Go back to sleep, you need it," he said finally, deciding it was best to mull over this problem himself for a bit. Naruto looked up at him, blue eyes glittering in the dark. His face was still dark and smudged from fleeing the fire, so when he smiled grimly his teeth gleamed white, stark against his sooty face. He shook his head, leaning back.

"I don't know if I can."

Sasuke hesitated, but slowly, he reached out, pulling Naruto close to him. The shock and horror of the day past had left both ninja uneasy and aloof with each other.

"Sleep," Sasuke commanded in a quiet voice. Naruto seemed surprised by his touch, but Sasuke felt him instantly relax against him. Sasuke found he liked that he had that effect. The closeness, the contact, it was like a drug, and Sasuke never took the high for granted. His heart raced a little, body reacting to the memory of the previous night, but he kept his hunger at bay. For now. The blue eyes were closing, and Sasuke could feel Naruto's warm breath tickle the hollow between his collar bones, and the urge to become intimate, to feel Naruto's bare skin against his, was suddenly overwhelming. He didn't attempt to hide his arousal. Naruto noticed, leaning teasingly against him, grinding slowly against him. Naruto reached up, fingers tangling almost painfully in Sasuke's hair as he yanked Sasuke towards him for a bruising kiss.

"I can't sleep," Naruto growled, in answer to Sasuke's earlier command. Their breath frosted in the air before them, mingling and dancing together as if the heat kept bursting from one body. Konoha was generally untouched by snow during the winter season, but the region it resided in still experienced plunging temperatures at night. It was enough to pucker skin, but now the air seemed too hot.

Sasuke ripped the clothes from Naruto, who nipped and sucked and kissed almost aggressively as he shed Sasuke's shirt. Naruto allowed Sasuke to lead tonight, and it was then that Sasuke realized how desperately Naruto was seeking comfort in his anger and sadness. The day had left him empty, and he wanted to feel whole, connected. Naruto's skin was still hot to the touch, an after effect of the Kyuubi's chakra surfacing, but Sasuke wouldn't deny him.

They played a moment, teasing and kissing and touching, before Sasuke could take it no longer. He grabbed Naruto around the waist tightly, bringing the blond into his lap, and entered him so quickly it burned. Naruto hissed a curse at the initial thrust, back arching, fingernails biting into Sasuke's thighs so deeply he left indents in the skin.

Sasuke seized Naruto's cock and pumped with each thrust. The lovemaking was quick, almost brutal as a result the day's experiences, and Sasuke finished earlier than he wanted, Naruto not far behind. He slumped against the tree branch, breathing heavily, heart racing, an arm draped over Naruto's chest. Naruto was limp against him and gulping down air. The cold air that whipped past made them shiver, but it felt glorious, Naruto's skin against his felt almost heavenly.

Steam was rising off their skin, the heat from the moment having been intense. Naruto seemed to be shaking slightly, and Sasuke felt a damp spot on his chest from where Naruto's head rested. He froze, unsure of how to act, but then he noticed Naruto was asleep, really asleep, like a normal human being without a care in the world, and Sasuke studied his face. There was a small crease above Naruto's eyebrows, a frown that was slowly fading on his lips, and a trail the stray tear had left on his face.

How nice it must be, to sleep like that, Sasuke thought for a moment. He remembered a time where he hated sleeping, hated dreaming. He would have avoided it all together if he could have, because the only faces that had awaited him in the dark were the faces of his brother and Naruto. Sleeping was easier now, with Naruto's body beside him, but Sasuke hadn't slept deeply in many years, and he doubted he ever would.

He lightly touched Naruto's forehead, relieved to find the blond's skin was no longer hot to the touch. He frowned again. Simply through a bad dream, the Kyuubi's chakra had been provoked. The seal must be weakening…or perhaps…

Perhaps it was the child. Naruto fidgeted in his sleep and Sasuke's hold on him tightened. Naruto had never mentioned any danger, but sometimes Sasuke sensed Naruto was withholding valuable information from him. Perhaps Naruto was waiting for something…or maybe the simpleton just couldn't grasp the enormity of such a secret! Sasuke sighed in aggravation. If it was the child...

Sasuke layed his hand flat across Naruto's belly, and found the area still warm. He remembered feeling the nudge from the life within, and waited. Nothing happened. Perhaps the little demon was sleeping. He didn't remove his hand. The cold dark of night that veiled him suddnely seemed like a shroud, black as his thoughts. He knew how he was going to do it. He planned to be there, right there, as Naruto labored. When the child began to slip forth into the world, he would snap its neck quickly, and by the time Naruto could hold the child in his arms, or realize that it hadn't cried, it would be dead. Sasuke felt a strange hollowness at the thought. He imagined Naruto, bloodied and in pain, howling at the sight of the dead infant.

It was a gruesome thought, and not for the first time, Sasuke cursed logic. Cursed Fukasaku.

But maybe, maybe it wouldn't look like a baby at all. Maybe it would look like an unholy demon. He thought of how he might not be able to console Naruto, and the strange hollowness seemed to expand in his chest until it felt painful. It would make it all the easier if the child was born looking like the evil it embodied. But, for a reason he couldn't explain, Sasuke began to doubt the child would look like a monster. Maybe it would have his black hair, or Naruto's blue eyes.

Picturing it made him feel worse.

The thought left him incredibly bitter, and Sasuke grimaced, grinding his teeth. He wasn't meant to be a father, wasn't meant for that sort of intimacy. He couldn't see himself cooing over an infant, holding one and loving it, watching it grow... No, that life wasn't for him. Parenthood wasn't for the twisted, the fucked over, the cold ones. Naruto stirred against his chest and Sasuke felt the anger in him cool.

He banished the thoughts from his mind, and looked at Naruto until he was all Sasuke saw.

"Go to sleep," Naruto mumbled almost inaudibly against his chest. Sasuke chuckled, relieved to be temporarily distracted from his thoughts.

"You were trying to feel it," Naruto said suddenly. Sasuke said nothing, but he noticed, with a sense of dread, that Naruto seemed pleased. It irritated him, especially given his thoughts.

"Well, the little demon had other ideas," Sasuke huffed. Naruto chortled.

"He doesn't mean it," He whispered, as if the child within could hear.

"Oh I mean it," Sasuke said with a yawn, closing his eyes. Naruto shook his head with a grin.

"Keep playing the heartless bastard card, it's cute," he teased, guffawing. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

_If only you knew._

"Keep thinking it's a ploy, it'll make you feel better," Sasuke drawled, although he wrapped an arm lazily around Naruto's shoulders. Naruto leaned away from him, back deciding to choose that moment to throw his jumpsuit back on with a slight shiver.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Naruto mumbled a little sleepily as he zipped himself up. Sasuke grunted. Is there something I should know? he wanted to ask, but decided their argument could wait for morning. He didn't feel like arguing. He felt like brooding over the problem alone for a while and just being alone in the quiet with Naruto.

"Just go to sleep," Sasuk sighed, but Naruto had already drifted, exhausted to the bone. Naruto's skin had completely cooled by now, Sasuke noticed. If the Kyuubi could really be provoked by something as simple as a dream during this pregnancy, what would happen if Naruto was provoked? What would happen when Naruto gave birth, if the seal actually was weakened during pregnancy? A ninja like the Fourth wasn't just _waltzing _around to help! He thought back to Madara for a moment. Madara, who denied anything to do with the Kyuubi…

"_Eyes more sinister than that of Madara Uchiha,_" the Kyuubi had growled at Sasuke once. Sasuke frowned. If Madara had been involved with the Kyuubi's attack, how was it possible that the demon had cooperated long enough for the plan to be carried out efficiently? Even if the demon was having a bit of fun, it still should've played with both sides and screwed Madara in the end.

Unless…Sasuke sat up straighter.

Was it possible that the Sharingan-

The faintest snap of a twig caused him to start and broke his thoughts apart. Naruto jerked awake, cut off mid-snore. Sasuke held him back from instinctively investigating and going into a fighting stance forcefully.

"Stay in the tree," Sasuke whispered. Naruto's nostrils flared, eyes glittering in defiance at the command.

"Stop acting like I can't defend myself-"

"Shut up and stay in the tree," Sasuke growled, and disappeared before Naruto could do anything but growl and glower. Carefully disguising his chakra signature, Sasuke moved lower to investigate, the tips of his fingers already buzzing with electricity.

"Fuck!" a voice hissed, belonging to whoever had snapped the twig, which was promptly followed by a muffled thud, clearly a hit to the head, and a whiny "ow!".

"Gods, kid, you're not cut out for this. You make any more noise and if there's someone lurking out there we're dead men for sure," another voice muttered. Two cloaked travelers were winding through the trees, clearly not ninja. An older man with a lamp and a scrawny teen with bedhead and slightly droopy eyes that clearly screamed out for sleep.

"I'm tired," the boy whined. He couldn't be any older than thirteen, Sasuke guessed, but the whine in his voice made him sound like a grumpy six year old. The man grunted.

"And I'm hungry. Hell, deal with it kid, or I'm leaving your whiny ass behind for the Akatsuki to find." That shut the kid up. He bit his lip, his face white at the mention of the Akatsuki.

"I wonder when it will end. When we can finally stop running," he whispered. The man stopped for a moment, looking at the kid.

"Not anytime soon. Look, kid, we're on our own now. The Allied Shinobi Forces are a joke. What are they doing for us? Nothing! They're saving their own asses and covering up their Jinchuuriki with their best fighters while the Akatsuki sack our villages and kill us by the thousands, and for what? The fucking Nine Tails. Are we supposed to die for the likes of people who would rather skulk around in the shadows than help us or fight for their countries? Heh. Jinchuurikis! If anyone had any sense, they'd stop makin' em, put 'em out of their misery, maybe it'd end the war. The Akatsuki would have nothing to gain anymore."

"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is a hero, though," the kid muttered, eyes locked on the forest ground. The older man halted, and laughed harshly.

"A hero? Ah, I guess so. Tales of that blond kid are everywhere. So brave, so strong, so loyal to his people. So passionate. The great Defeater of Pain. Yeah, where's his ass now that you need him? Hiding or chasing that fucking Uchiha rogue. I _listen_, kid. The government tries to hush some things up, but I listen. I know he's out there somewhere. Gotta be alive or we'd be in deeper shit, but where is he then? Why isn't he fighting if he's so great and powerful? If he's so strong, what's the masked man to a real legend, even if he is a Jinchuuriki?

I'll tell you where your hero is, kid. If he's not hiding in a perfectly comfortable place right now, he's running after that fucking Uchiha. The very one in league with the masked man. The very one who was at the Akatsuki's side when they descended on your village months ago and sacked it. Hell, maybe Uchiha even killed your father. There's our hero, running after his own personal affairs, putting a villain before the war. When it comes down to it, men are men, and their hearts are just as greedy as the next person's. Remember that, and you won't get your heart broken."

"I think he's brave," the kid retorted angrily, "I've heard the war stories, and not one of 'em puts him in a bad light. He's always the hero. He doesn't give up, and he would do anything to bring back someone he cares about. That's not cowardly. I know he's good. He'll save us!" the boy finished. The man spat.

"Yeah? Well I think he's an idiot. Kid should get his head out of the fucking clouds and float back down to Earth and kill that Uchiha before the little shit gets any stronger. That's all we need, two fucking Sharingan users brainwashing us all into madness." With that, the boy and man disappeared into the darkness, the forest swallowing their voices. Sasuke silently seethed.

He supposed gossip and news traveled from village to village by mouth of bitter refugees such as the old man, who had heard stories in their travels to escape the death and fighting. He wasn't surprised his name was known. He had made it that way by joining up with Madara and allowing himself to be seen, especially during battle. But with Susano'o, he hadn't been thinking clearly. For all he knew, he _had_ killed that kid's father, many months ago, during a raid. The thought made him feel strange, but not any less angry. He hurried back up to the tree, dreading the mood Naruto would be in.

Naruto was sitting with his chin on his knees, a melancholy air about him. He seemed to be lost in thought.

"Didn't know I was so popular," he joked at last. Sasuke sighed.

"At least you were the hero and not the little shit," Sasuke said tiredly, settling down beside him. Naruto chuckled.

"You _are_ a little shit." he said with a laugh, and swiped at a tear. He cursed his tears, wiping angrily at his eyes. The night sky was beginning to lighten with streaks of gray and orange and pink on the horizon. The stars were beginning to fade. Naruto leaned against Sasuke, resting his head on the Uchiha's shoulder.

"What was I doing before I woke up?" Naruto asked suddenly. Sasuke fidgeted.

"Why? Is there something you'd like to share with me?" Sasuke asked. It was Naruto's turn to fidget.

"If you're not telling me something about the Kyuubi, I'm going to find out, and I'm not going to be happy about it when I do," Sasuke warned. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You're never happy," he quipped.

"Your seal is weakening," Sasuke guessed. Naruto frowned.

"I'm at my most vulnerable during birth. That's why the Kyuubi was too happy to set this up. There's a chance he could escape." There was a silence.

"Sasuke," Naruto began, a little falteringly, looking up at the lightening sky. "If I ever begin to lose it-"

"I'll bring you back." Sasuke said quietly. Naruto blinked, looking at him.

"You'll bring _me_ back? Heh. That's ironic," Naruto joked. Sasuke grimaced. Naruto clasped his hand, a pleading look in his eyes.

"If something like that ever happens-"

"Stop being so melodramatic."

"Shut up and listen. If something happens to me, promise me you won't leave the kid to die." Sasuke's eyes widened. For a long, terrible moment he couldn't speak. Sasuke ripped his hand away from Naruto's, standing, anger flushing his cheeks.

"We need to get going," Sasuke bit out. Naruto looked away.

"Sasuke-" Naruto reached out, but Sasuke shrugged him off, too upset to speak.

"We already fucked, what more do you want from me right now?" he hissed, more so out of spite so Naruto would leave it be and hopefully forget about what he had just asked. It worked. Naruto withdrew as if burned and Sasuke felt miserable about it, but he'd be damned if he apologized.

No way in hell was he making a promise like that. It bothered him, angered him beyond belief, that Naruto would decide to put his life second after the demon child's. Then again, Naruto had a very annoying habit of putting his life second for a lot of people, but this was worse. Sasuke turned away, a silent command that meant the conversation was over and it was time to leave.

"Oh hell no," Naruto growled, and grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder, spinning him around forcefully and pinning him to the tree hard enough so that the breath momentarily left Sasuke's lungs. He didn't fight back, he allowed Naruto his anger.

"You don't get to do that." Naruto's eyes gleamed brightly in the early morning. Sasuke glared at him.

"You think your asshole moves are going to shut me up? You don't think I got you figured out? You don't think, after years of being your rival, your friend, that I might have an idea of how your mind works?" Something twisted within Sasuke.

"You don't know me as well as you think you do," Sasuke hissed. Naruto shook his head, releasing him.

"I know there are skeletons in your closet you can't bury deep enough. I know there's always going to be a dark side of you that not even I can make go away. But even if I can't, just me being here with you is enough to warm that cold side of you touched by Susano'o, even if I can't melt it. I know you're fucking pissed right now because of what I just asked of you." Sasuke grimaced.

"I've been through hell and back, I just saw my friends die because they were hiding me. I don't need this shit from you. Not from you, not now." Sasuke looked away, seething.

"I'm not going to promise you anything. I can't," Sasuke bit out finally.

"Why? Why can't you just say-"

"Because if it came down to it, I wouldn't think twice about saving it before I could save you!" Sasuke admitted angrily. He looked away, almost unable to bear the sadness that shadowed Naruto's face.

"Sasuke-"

"Naruto, just drop it." Sasuke cut him off, turning to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He sighed.

"No. I won't promise you that. What I can promise you is that you'll never be in a position where I can't protect you," Sasuke said quietly. Naruto quieted, still not happy, but thankfully he decided to drop it. Sasuke held out a hand. Naruto didn't seem like he wanted to take it. He was eyeing Sasuke in that suspicious way. The kind of look that made Sasuke think he knew more than he let on.

"Let's go," Sasuke said, outstretching a hand. After another few tense seconds, Naruto took his hand without a word. They took off into the gray morning and sped through the trees.

* * *

><p>Tsunade stared dumbly at the wall as she received the report from a bleeding toad. The poor creature was gasping and dying on her desk in a dark pool of blood. <em>Mount Myoboku infiltrated. Great Elder dead. Naruto and Sasuke gone. Being searched for by Fukasaku.<em>

Worse, Suigetsu had failed to report. When asked about the rogue nin, the toad on her desk had only shook his head, and muttered something about "deathly ill" and "traitor". Her plan had failed, and Suigetsu had paid for her mistake.

At least Suigetsu had been expendable.

"Shizune, take this poor toad to the medical wing. Fix him."

Shizune, pale as a sheet, nodded and plucked the bleeding toad from Tsunade's desk. When the medic nin had left, Tsunade found herself alone in her office, the setting sun casting shadows and giving the walls a russet glow. She rested her forehead on her hands. She was too old for this. Too tired for this. Fuck it, she needed a drink. She reached into the bottom drawer of her desk and whipped out a bottle of sake, taking a long, greedy suck.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Sasuke and Naruto were missing. Being searched for by Fukasau. She clenched her teeth. Why hadn't the sage appeared to her? This mess could easily be on the toad's shoulders. Sasuke had been allowed to thrive on Mount Myoboku and now?

Now he probably had delivered Naruto to Madara. The thought made her body buzz with so much pent up rage she bit her lip to keep from screaming. She had to remind herself that there was no news of that. She had to give Suigetsu's story a little thought. It wasn't impossible that Sasuke was now his own man. It wasn't impossible to think he could actually care for Naruto either.

She was at a loss. If word spread…she closed her eyes, took another drink. There was a meeting in the morning with the Kages for the Allied Shinobi Forces. They would have to be told. She had planned on Naruto hiding away until the demon child could be taken care of, but with his cover ruined…

She had no choice. She needed help, as much as she hated to admit it. There was a knock on her door, and Shikamaru peeked in, looking tired and miserable.

"It's happened." Tsunade said, without preamble.

"I just heard-"

"You know what to do," she interjected. Shikamaru's face hardened.

"Good thing I prepared myself for this outcome," he muttered.

"Tomorrow morning is the meeting with the Kages. I want you to attend with me. Sit at my side at the table." Shikamaru's eyes widened at her words.

"That's…that's an honor," he finally stammered out.

Tsunade nodded. "You're one of my best, Shikamaru. I'm grateful to have you on my side," she said. Shikamaru bowed his head, honored. There was a silence.

"Should we send out a team? Naruto could be out there as we speak."

"He is out there. With him. If Sasuke is spotted, I want him killed on sight."

"Of course. I will have the team sent out. If Fukasaku had any hand in Naruto's escape, I'm sure the toads would have sent him back towards Konoha. If that is the case, we'll scope out the perimeter. With the attack having just happened, they couldn't have gone too far," Shikamaru reasoned.

"Very good. You will join the team tomorrow after the meeting. Tonight, you must rest, prepare yourself for tomorrow. I want you at your sharpest. Shouldn't be too hard for you." Shikamaru smirked at this and took his leave. Shizune reentered.

"Lady Tsunade, you'll be in a terrible spot if you're discovered-"

"Don't preach to me, Shizune. I know what I'm getting myself into. We can't trust the entire Allied Shinobi Forces. Not with a secret like this, and with the Raikage being such a passionate man, it's best he were left out of it. I want to enlist the help of only the Mist and the Sand, no others."

"You're forming secret alliances within the group-"

"As I'm sure others have done. It's not that dirty, Shizune. Once it's discovered what the Leaf has been hiding, how many of our allies do you think will suddenly become enemies, and stab us in our sleep? What of those who desire power and would actually attempt to keep the child for their own benefit? I want the Mist, because I want their ninja with the stolen Byakugan working with us, not against us, and Mei is someone I would like on my side. As for the Sand, I feel I can trust Gaara completely. Shikamaru agrees. This is best handled quietly and efficiently. It's best the others do not know. It's best if we have help handling this and with finding Naruto and Sasuke."

Shizune said nothing more, only nodded.

"It is what's best, Shizune," Tsunade muttered, eyeing her sake bottle. Shizune frowned.

"Maybe I should take that," the medic nin suggested, gesturing towards the bottle. Tsunade flushed.

"You're free to leave for the night, Shizune. And you, Shikamaru. Go." Tsunade dismissed them. Shizune averted her eyes, nodded, and left quickly with Shikamaru. Night creeped up on Tsunade slowly. The setting sun seemed hesitant to sink. Anxiously, she awaited news.

Midnight, one in the morning, two in the morning… still nothing. At seven, she would need to be at the Kage meeting, but she couldn't sleep. It was easier to rest after a few drinks, though the alchohol left her head feeling fuzzy, her body warm, and her tongue thick. She drifted in and out of sleep. At four thirty, she was awake, dressing, jumping at every sound. Not a single nerve in her body relaxed.

By five, she felt she could not bear the silence and the uneventful hours any longer. SHe was about to plop back down on her bed to try and sleep for an hour more when someone came to her bedroom door. She could feel it before the knock sounded. An ANBU officer entered the room, eyes bright behind his white monkey mask.

"Lady Tsunade. We have him."

For the first time in days, weeks, Tsunade smiled.


	20. Betrayal

_Betrayal_

He wouldn't look at her. He couldn't. The smell…

Fukasaku choked on tears, on vomit, on agony. Weak in the knees, he slowly sank to the singed grass.

"Fukasaku, I am so sorry," Gamaken whispered softly. Gamakichi said nothing, only reached out and gently covered up the burned, ruined body of what had once been Shima with blooming lilypads from a nearby pond that hadn't been touched by Kabuto's devastation.

_They have taken everything. My wife. My home. My pupil. My faith. My pride in my abilities, all in one attack, _Fukasaku thought numbly. Shima…Shima was supposed to have outlived him. It should have been her bent over in agony over his death. He had always assumed he would go first. Mostly because he couldn't handle the thought of being left in a world without his mate, no matter how much they bickered or annoyed and nagged each other. He hadn't even told her he loved her that morning. The last time he had told his toad wife he loved her was three weeks ago. They had fought before he had left for the temple in the afternoon.

It had been one of their usual, senseless arguments. He had left his empty plate on the table, he hadn't bothered to clean it. She nagged, as usual, but when she told him to take his saggy green butt to the temple so his face wouldn't make her angrier, she'd grinned, and he rememebered a time she was sleek and lovely. She still was. Had been. Slowly, as though his bones were brittle and his body too heavy for them, Fukasaku rose.

"We leave for Konoha. Naruto needs us…and Kabuto has a head start. Gamakichi, find someone…find someone to notify Tsunade," he croaked out. The two large warrior toads said nothing. Only obeyed.

The night waned, and when morning came, the toads had left the mountain.

* * *

><p>Behind the walls of Konoha, an important meeting was taking place in an empty apartment building. In the streets, the morning carried on as if nothing unusual was taking place in the building by the market place. Children began to sneak out of bed to play in the streets, women looked at fruit, and vendors called out loudly. Never once knowing, that mere feet away, a villain had been cornered, caught, and now, was being interrogated.<p>

But Sasuke Uchiha wasn't impressed, and he only smiled at Tsunade's attempts to get him to talk.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now," Tsunade growled. The glittering obsidian eyes of Sasuke Uchiha narrowed into slits. _Amused_ slits.

"Because I might kill you first," he answered smoothly, his seemingly languid posture misleading. Tsunade had to keep from lunging at him. Such _insolence._ Such chilling arrogance.

"I ordered your death," she reminded him. Sasuke was nonplussed.

"I suppose you want it even more, given that I've killed an ANBU guard," he said indifferently.

"Yes, that's _difficult_ to overlook." Tsunade said through gritted teeth. Sasuke leaned forward.

"He asked for it," he whispered, just to needle her, to get a rise out of her. Tsunade wanted to slap him. She could feel her body buzzing with rage.

"You're one to talk. Do you _want_ to hang? The way you're talking, it sounds more appealing by the second."

"I can't die yet," Sasuke retorted, leaning back in his chair. Tsunade huffed at this.

"Maybe not," she reluctantly agreed.

"Speaking of threats…I'm sure the Allied Shinobi Forces won't overlook this. What you're doing, it's high treason to your country, to the Fire Lord. You could lose your position for keeping me here. You might as well order your own death."

Tsunade glowered at him. It was true, but she ignored this. "I want a word with you, first. You came to Konoha. Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke returned.

"I am more than relieved to have Naruto within the walls of my village once more, but why bring yourself along with him?"

Sasuke let a few moments pass before he spoke. "Have you not spoken with Fukasaku?"

Tsunade hesitated.

"So it is true. You plan on destroying the demon child." She felt oddly relieved. Sasuke scowled.

"And you've already tried to. You've made your plans quite obvious." He was looking at her in a way that made her flinch. She composed herself.

"We both know the dangers it poses to Naruto. Yet he is protective of it."

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the table before them, much to Tsunade's irritation. "It's not hard to understand why. He isn't a difficult person to figure out."

Tsunade felt a headache coming on. _Gods,_ she just wanted to slap that ridiculously handsome face. No, a slap wouldn't be good enough. She was pretty sure stabbing him would be more satisfactory. She allowed herself a cold smile.

"Just wait until he sees who you really are. I will relish that day. Then when he comes at you with all his rage, not even your past with him will stop the fatal blows." Sasuke was quiet a moment, his face seemingly frozen in place. She relaxed in her seat, satisfied. She'd gotten to him.

"Then I look forward to that day I can prove you otherwise," Sasuke replied coolly. Tsunade's eyes gleamed.

"I'm sure you will."

"Why are you really talking to me now? Shouldn't I be dead?" Sasuke asked quietly. Tsunade's smile stretched a little wider.

"As much as I hate to admit it…after what I've seen this morning, I need you alive. I need you when it comes to Naruto and his protection. I also want information on Madara."

Sasuke was quiet a moment. "You will not be able to lay a hand on Madara," he said finally. Tsunade tensed.

"What do you know?" she pressed.

"It's a form of genjutsu. I am not familiar with it. No one can lay a finger on him. He is more apparition than human." A silence stretched between them.

"There must be a way to destroy him," she said quietly. Sasuke grunted.

"I'm working on it."

Tsunade clucked at him. He didn't seem to appreciate this.

"I plan on forming an alliance with the Mist," she said suddenly. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I can see why." He fidgeted in his seat, glancing towards the window behind him. They were in a small apartment, unoccupied government housing. The furnishing was sparse, complete with a small table, two chairs, a nightstand in the vacant living room, and a small cot with a dresser in the single bedroom.

"He's in good hands. You shouldn't worry," Tsunade said suddenly. Sasuke scowled. A knock came to the door and Tsunade stood immediately.

"Enter!" Tsunade barked. ANBU guards, as well as Shikamaru, entered the small apartment, along with two cloaked and hooded figures. Sasuke stood, and noticed one of the figures tense, but the other figure calmed him with a light touch. The hoods were removed, and Sasuke found himself facing the Mizukage, and the man with the stolen Byakugan, his white eye glaring at the Uchiha venomously.

"Well, well, well, Tsunade. I know he's cute, but I would have expected more of you," Mei said with a light laugh. Tsunade huffed at this.

"Can I trust you, Mei?" Tsunade asked quietly. Mei looked around, noting the ANBU guards, her emerald eyes glittering. She flipped her hair.

"I suppose. Shikamaru Nara _did_ impress me." She winked at him. Shikamaru reddened. Tsunade didn't relax. She was sure Mei had her own guard creeping about, waiting for a reason to strike. Mei sat down with a flourish.

"Don't keep me waiting." Her eyes bored into Sasuke, her red lipsticked lips curling into a smirk. Sasuke's frown deepened.

"What is it you want in return?" he asked, noticing the hunger in her eyes. She smiled, honey-slow. Sasuke could feel the anger within him beginning to churn, and he had a feeling the price for the woman's silence and loyalty wouldn't be an easy one to pay.

* * *

><p>The sky was overcast, a light pearly gray. Beautiful, even in its emotionless color. Naruto shivered, pulling his jacket about him tighter. He was sitting on the roof of his apartment, gazing down upon his village, watching the people trickle through the streets and alleys. He saw laughter, he saw sadness, he saw children at play, and couples sneaking about in alleyways. Life went on.<p>

He blinked, startled, when a cold raindrop splashed on his nose, then another, and another still, until a steady sheet of freezing rain began to fall. Naruto pulled his hood up, not bothering to leave the roof. The cold seemed to help clear his mind. He stared straight ahead, wondering how the Kage meeting had gone, and more importantly, where Sasuke was. He didn't need to turn his head to realize a presence.

"Fukasaku," He greeted quietly. The little toad sage stood beside him in the freezing rain, still as stone.

"I'm sorry, Fukasaku," Naruto mumbled after a moment. Fukasaku made a choked sound, but cleared his throat.

"It is war, Naruto," he answered, as if this alone explained everything. Silence stretched, with nothing but the sound of the rain hitting the roof.

"You do not want to go inside?" Fukasaku asked wearily. Naruto shrugged.

"I have a lot on my mind."

"Sasuke, you mean."

Naruto didn't answer, but the toad didn't miss the way the blond's mouth twisted.

"You cannot change him. There will always be a darkness-"

"I used to say I would be a light to that darkness. I would be the wind to his flame." he chuckled softly at himself. Fukasaku was quiet.

"I can't say I no longer believe that, because I still do." Naruto turned bright blue eyes to Fukasaku.

"What are you planning?" he whispered. "I know something is going on. I confronted him before Kabuto attacked…then afterwards I asked something of him to see if…" Naruto's voice trailed. It was flat, dead. Fukasaku shivered. Naruto had discovered his secret, he realized. It should have pained him, but Shima's death had taken everything, even the strength to care.

"I think you know," Fukasaku said.

Naruto began to talk, going off an a seemingly unrelated tangent. "When we were cornered, Sasuke killed one of the ANBU guards that tried to lay a hand on me. He'd taken up shuriken against me. I was only trying to calm them down...I was so pissed. I can take care of myself, he didn't need to throw himself in there like I was some damsel in distress. The bastard. Always trying to steal the show." He paused for a while.

"Sasuke killed him though. The guard was dead before he hit the ground, and you know what? I _knew_ him. I knew who he was. His name was Hisoka."

Fukasaku listened, unsure of why Naruto had suddenly changed the subject, but his heart ached. Naruto fidgeted. He noticed the gray sky and weak light made the colors more vibrant. The green of the trees and grass looked emerald, and blood was brighter than a sparkling ruby in the rain. The red river that had burst from Hisoka's neck and splashed on Naruto's clothes had looked brighter than any blood he had ever seen. He grimaced at the thought.

"I'm lost, Fukasaku. I've always done what I could to protect those I love. To protect my village, my country. I fight for what's right. If I don't…what else is there in this fucked up world? What _good_ can the world be if I don't try and make it that way? I lived that way for so long. But with Sasuke…" Naruto shook his head.

"Sasuke Uchiha is lost as well," Fukasaku whispered. "Only you seem to keep him from drowning in the blood he has spilled. Even so, your love cannot erase the dark years of his past. As for what's right in the world…you can't always preserve what's right, Naruto. " He surprised himself by saying the words, but in his heart he thought it was something the Great Elder would have approved of.

"Hisoka was dead before I could stop it. I don't think I even really tried to…"

"Love is a crippling emotion for a ninja. It is the most beautiful thing that is offered to us to experience, and yet it is the most dangerous." The cold rain was beginning to make Naruto's hands pink and numb. He rubbed them together and blew warm breath into cupped hands.

"I saw something today." He whispered. Fukasaku looked to him then.

"What?" He urged when the blond still hadn't spoken.

"A funeral. Some parents were buying their kid. He'd only been a chunin..." Naruto said quietly, voice trailing as if he were reconsidering finishing the sentence. He seemed to decide against it. "Fuck, I wish I could have a drink." He groaned suddenly, burying his face in his hands.

"There is no good in the world if innocence can't thrive," Naruto said. Fukasaku snorted despite himself.

"You believe in true innocence?" he asked bitterly. Naruto looked to him defiantly.

"Of course I do."

"Do you still believe in innocence even when it turns into something ugly?" Fukasaku asked. Naruto grimaced, and stood.

"Don't go there, Fukasaku. Just don't fucking go there. I'm really sick of constantly hearing this-"

"Naruto you _must_ understand-!"

"I thought you believed in me once. Believed in what I fought for. I thought we fought for the _same_ thing."

"We do!" Fukasaku agreed, "We fight to end Madara's reign of terror! To bring peace back into our world! To protect-"

"Protect who? Are we going to sit here and pick who lives and dies based on what their future abilities _might_ be? Last time I checked, Fukasaku, we were fighters, we were ninja, not Fate itself. We aren't murderers."

Fukasaku winced. "We fight to _keep the peace! _Even if that means doing something we might consider vile. It's for the good of the country, of our world. Are a thousand lives not equal to one? Listen to yourself, you foolish boy! You know nothing! _Nothing! _Your concept of the world will be your end." Naruto laughed harshly at that.

"So be it."

"They will come to Konoha. _He_ will come for you. It won't be long. Then what? You cannot fight!" Fukasaku argued desperately.

"I'll do what I can." With that, Naruto leapt off the roof, much to Fukasaku's distress (how could the boy be so agile still? Yet, at a single glance, Naruto's pregnancy was not easily detected, and it was no ordinary pregnancy by any means. But _still!_).

"Get back here, boy! We must talk to Tsunade! The Kage meeting should be over by now!" Naruto paid no heed to Fukasaku. He pulled his hood up and hurried down an alley, past a ragtag group of orphaned children running wild through the rain. One of whom spat in his direction along with an accusing yell of "pussy!". Despite himself, Naruto flipped the little brat off.

"Ungrateful little fuck," he muttered as he turned a corner, a narrow little alley between two apartment buildings. The rain was still falling, and it felt like daggers of ice on his skin. He stopped suddenly, sensing a presence. A second later, there was a _thump_ on the fire escape above him. He bristled and looked up. Sasuke was staring down at him, leaning forward against the metal rail, cloaked and using his sexy no jutsu disguise.

"I never thought you liked the rain this much," the Uchiha drawled, taking in Naruto's drenched appearance and leaping over the rail, landing beside him. Naruto sneered, not trusting himself to say anything. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned in to speak.

"Listen, tonight, leave a clone in your bed. We-What? What's that look for?" he asked, trailing off from what he was originally saying.

"Oh, you know what," Naruto growled. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. For a moment, he matched Naruto's venomous gaze, before reaching out to him. Before Sasuke could touch him, Naruto smacked it away.

"Don't fucking touch me."

Sasuke's nostrils flared. "What the hell is your problem?" he hissed, annoyed. Naruto yelled in exasperation, looking up at the sky.

"Really? You want to know what my problem is? I'm sick of people thinking I won't fight for them, that I'm a coward, that I don't care. I'm sick of seeing my friends die. I'm fucking sick of _constantly_ hearing that I'm an idiot and the baby is some evil fucked up demon. You want to know what's worse than all of that? Do you?"

Sasuke waited. Dread, colder than the icy rain, was beginning to seep into his bones. Naruto stepped close, so close that their noses almost touched. When Naruto spoke, his voice was a deadly whisper.

"What's worse is knowing that I've been letting you kiss me, touch me, fuck me, and all this time, you were just waiting. Waiting to get rid of the kid."

Sasuke stared into the cornflower blue eyes, and saw only anger, hurt; raw emotion that burned like blue flame. Something inside him twisted and broke, but he wasn't sure what.

"For you," he said finally, berating himself internally for such a stupid answer, his voice stiff and awkward. Naruto shoved past him, but paused, deciding to turn around.

"Yeah. For me. You're a real fucking hero, Sasuke," Naruto spat. Sasuke said nothing, but the cold anger on his face was easy to see. He made a move forward but paused. Naruto looked to his left, noticing an ANBU guard hidden in the shadows. He huffed, glaring at the masked figure.

"Don't follow me."

Sasuke watched Naruto bound away, numb in the rain.

* * *

><p>There was a rage stirring within him, and it frightened Naruto slightly. He threw a dark glare at the ANBU guard, leaving Sasuke to simmer in the rain, and turned the corner nearly in a run. He jogged down the street, before turning into another alley. Breathing hard and shaking, he leaned against the wall.<p>

Nausea made his head spin, and he vomited behind a trash bin. He wiped his mouth across the back of his hand, and realized he was still shaking. He stared at his shaking hands a minute, and urged the anger and heat of the Kyuubi down.

_Just try and cut it from my belly…_

Naruto closed his eyes.

_I'll stop you._

He looked up at the gray sky, and suddenly wished it was blue.

_Are a thousand lives not equal to one?_

_Can you still believe in the innocence you fight for when it turns into something ugly?_

Naruto wasn't sure. He looked at his hands again, as if afraid the red chakra would begin to rise like steam off his skin. He was relieved to see nothing unusual. The anger within him was terrifying. He could _feel_ the Kyuubi's spite burning with it. Something was happening to him, something frightening. Nothing scared him half as badly as the Kyuubi surfacing. That morning, he had dreamed about it after drifting off into a light sleep…

_He was staring at his reflection in a cracked mirror. There was blood, thick and warm and dripping down his thighs. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. He could hear a baby's thin wails echoing through the room, yet he saw nothing. His body was taut, tense, ready to strike._

_"I can't do this," he said to his reflection._

_"You can. I did." _

_He turned, startled by the second voice. Her back was to him, hair red as flame spilling down her back. A hard, painful lump formed in Naruto's throat. Kushina. His mother was visiting his dreams._

_"How? How did you do it?" he asked, desperation thinning his voice. She turned to face him, her face bright and flushed. She smiled, and seemed to glide towards him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, pulled him into a hug. Rubbed his back like he was a little child._

_"You'll want to give in, and badly, but you mustn't. You have to be strong. For everyone."_

_"Give in to what? The Kyuubi?" Naruto wanted to know. Kushina looked to the mirror, and Naruto followed her gaze, only to recoil in fear. Staring back at him in the mirror was a feral version of himself, eyes as red as blood, with pointed fangs. The Kyuubi, not Kushina, had a red glowing arm snaking around Naruto's shoulders. Fangs dripping and bared in a malicious grin, the Kyuubi snapped at Naruto's ear as he whispered._

_"You'll want to give in to me. You'll need me to protect it. Let me keep it safe…" the demon urged, yet the velvety rumble of its voice a mockery of parental instinct. Naruto shook._

_"No," he said. The Kyuubi snapped at his ear again._

_"You can't keep me at bay, whelp. If you keep me contained, I will only rip from your body in a few months later, and then the world will know my hatred."_

He had woken from the dream with ruby red eyes, and heat rising from his skin like steam. It had frightened him so badly he'd holed himself up in the bathroom, in the shower, repeating to himself. _You won't escape. You won't escape. I won't let you. _The memory made him shiver, and he looked about. He sighed.

"Didn't I ask not to be followed?" There was a pause. An ANBU guard shuffled into view.

"Lady Tsunade requests an audience with you," the guard explained. Naruto grimaced. It was the last thing he wanted.

"Yeah, sure." He cast a quick glance about him and followed.

...

"How are you feeling?" Tsunade asked slowly. Naruto tried to keep his face expressionless. He glared.

"Fine," he muttered, staring at the tea set before him. The steam rose into the air, dancing and swaying. Silence reigned for a few more moments.

"Alright, let's cut to the chase. I need you out of the village again for your own safety. The Mizukage and I have come up with a plan and a destination. It took a lot of convincing, but we got our way. It's actually the first place Kushina had been hidden at, when it was unsure how the birth would affect her."

Naruto nodded in understanding, but said nothing.

"And Sasuke?" he ventured carefully. Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"He will stay here."

Naruto nodded once, staring out the large windows behind Tsunade.

"In fact…contact between the two of you will be limited and constantly supervised." Naruto's blue eyes sparked like flint in his anger, but he said nothing, only nodded quickly. Right now, he could live with that.

"Anything else?" he asked tersely. Tsunade sighed.

"Naruto-"

"If there's nothing else, I'd like to go home now."

She blinked, and for a moment, Naruto thought she looked hurt, but she composed herself. He didn't feel guilty.

"You're excused," she said.

"Thanks."

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Naruto ate ramen and reminisced on his couch. He didn't leave the apartment, not even to seek out his friends; no one had been notified of his return, and it was meant to stay that way. He hadn't seen Sasuke since that morning, and he wasn't sure that he minded. As he watched the ceiling fan spin, he frowned suddenly, remembering something.

_Leave a clone in your bed tonight…_

What was Sasuke planning to do? Had he wanted a secret rendezvous? Naruto snorted, turning onto his side.

"Rendezvous my ass," he growled into a pillow, and sighed. It was as if there was nothing left to feel, nothing left to hurt and surprise him. Everyone was against him. No, they were against _it._ The baby wriggled, and Naruto placed his hand slightly below his belly button.

"Don't worry," he whispered hoarsely, his mind whirring. He listened, trying to sense where the guards were. Quietly, he rose, walking casually to his bedroom, and closing the door. He made a point of putting on pajama pants, and crawling into bed, pulling the covers over his head. He'd tricked Yamato similarly once, surely he could trick a couple guards with the same trick again, especially given that the guards were on high alert, concentrated on more than just Naruto. If they could just sense his chakra signature, they wouldn't pay his apartment too much mind.

The sky was darkening, and Naruto waited for the darkness to make his move. It was time to act, and he'd be damned if he sat around and waited for the inevitable.

* * *

><p>"What are we to do, My Lady?" Ao asked. Mei was sitting in the gardens, an umbrella propped open above her. She liked the rain. Shikamaru Nara had visited them with a most interesting proposal, and later Tsunade had confronted the Mizukage, wanting an answer. Mei had given her one. She was quiet a moment.<p>

"We play along. Tonight, I want you to set up a visit with the boy, under the pretense that you're using the Byakugan to see the truth of this. When you're inside…kill him. He is far too dangerous." She was decided. Ao frowned.

"If he were fit to fight, he'd be an amazing asset. He has great strength-"

"And he'll lose control of it. I think we both know how this will end, Ao. Tsunade cares for the boy like she would a son. She is blinded by her care for him. She cannot be trusted to make a wise decision."

Ao was silent before saying,"Very well."

"Once the deed is done, send word to the Raikage of this treachery. I don't want him aware of this quite yet. We need to be convincing, and our dear friend in the clouds is much too brash. Sasuke Uchiha must also face proper punishment for his crimes…pity, he has such a lovely face." Ao shifted uncomfortably at this comment.

"What of the price you asked to be paid in order for our cooperation?" he wanted to know. Mei grinned.

"We get money for the Mist, and get the danger out of our way. We win both ways, Ao. It might seem dirty, but Naruto's death is for the best. Allowing him to give birth is like putting the Kyuubi away in a room and leaving the door wide open. It can't happen."

"We'll gain an enemy," he pointed out.

"The Leaf wouldn't dare turn away from their only allies in a time like this. They need us. Tsunade will come to an understanding," Mei said.

"I doubt that, since we'll be taking something from her and betraying her-"

"She _will_ understand in due time that it was for the best. In fact, once this is over, there will be enough grounds to remove her as Hokage, once this is brought to the Fire Lord's attention. We won't need to deal with her much longer. Now leave me to the rain, Ao." Mei dismissed him. He paused, as if unsure whether or not to mention something, but in the end decided against it and took off.

Mei turned her attention back to the garden, beautiful and stark against the gray sky. A figure caught her eye, a beautiful raven-haired woman. It was then Mei realized the gardens held the Uchiha memorial. She wondered if the woman had lost an Uchiha lover, or was somehow related. A bastard child perhaps? She let her imagination wander, closed her eyes, and listened to the rain.

* * *

><p>The apartment was in view. Night reigned, and the moon was full, bathing the dark earth in pale celestial light. It was just bright enough to see without any assistance. The figure moved lithely, taking note of the ANBU guards posted around the area. He wasn't surprised when, the moment his foot hit the wooden steps that wound up the building to the boy's dwelling, a guard appeared as if he had materialized out of a shadow playing on the walls.<p>

"Lady Tsunade sent me," Ao said in a casual tone. The guard said nothing, only stared through the slits in his ivory dog mask.

"The animal faces are unnerving," Ao joked. The guard was quiet, his hand poised to whip out a kunai. The man looked to the topmost window of the apartment building.

"The Leaf needs water to grow, does it not?"

The guard grudgingly moved aside.

"You will be closely monitored," the guard said gruffly.

"Of course." Ao made his way up the stairs. He knocked softly on the door. When no one answered, he let himself in. He didn't remove his eye patch. He didn't want the guard to become suspicious, or Naruto to immediately get on the defensive. The apartment was filled with shadows and moonlight. Naruto hadn't left a single light on. Ao looked to the window, turned on the kitchen light, and moved silently down the narrow hall. The door was open a crack. Taking a deep breath, Ao unsheathed a dagger. He was surprised the ANBU guard hadn't followed him in yet.

The boy was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Ao smirked a little sadly, like a disappointed elder. Had a few months of not training and being looked after left Naruto so careless? He moved without a sound, raising the dagger. He paused another moment as he hovered over the boy's bed. Still nothing. The quiet made Ao hesitate, made him feel as though something was wrong, but he knew what had to be done, and he couldn't hesitate. It was better to take a chance than not take one at all. Without another second's hesitation, he plunged the dagger into the boy's lower abdomen. Naruto's eyes shot open, and his mouth gaped in surprise.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way," Ao whispered sincerely, but then the boy disappeared in a puff of smoke, and before he could move, he felt the cold kiss of a blade as the steel pressed threateningly against his Adam's apple. He grinned, wincing as the edge of the kunai broke the surface of the skin.

"I should have known," he whispered. The masked guard, the same one to have questioned him earlier, lifted his mask slightly and whispered in Ao's ear.

"You should have lifted your eye patch sooner."

Ao moved quickly, whirling, but his blade met the masked guard's in a shower of sparks. He went onto the offensive, jabbing and pushing the guard back, but the guard was excellent and dodged deftly. Ao slashed, whirled, and kicked, aiming to trip the guard, but the masked man leaned backwards just enough to miss the blade by a hair's breadth. As Ao aimed to kick, the guard reached out, caught the older nin's leg and tried to trip him, making Ao stumble. He used that momentum to help throw Ao. Ao was thrown, and he grunted as he crashed into a mirror, glass shattering and slicing into his back. He lifted his eye patch. His pale Byakugan eye widened as it activated.

"Interesting. So it really is true," he muttered, choking as the masked man flew forward, pinning him and gripping his neck with a crushing grip. His opponent raised a fist, but Ao did what he could. He delivered a nasty headbutt to the ANBU guard, cracking the mask, splitting open his own forehead in the process. Ao groaned, both eyes closing for the briefest part of a second. Blood spilled into his Byakugan eye, and he kept that left eye closed, concentrating on the figure now with his right. The guard was stumbling, and the kunai fell from his hand. A piece of the mask fell away, revealing a bright blue eye. Ao laughed.

"I thought so." He growled, and with amazing speed, shot forward, slashing with the kunai. The guard only dodged. Ao cornered his opponent, and held the knife to his stomach. Naruto held up his hands in surrender, eyeing the knife warily.

"Please-"

"I hope you understand." Ao said as he stabbed.

"Oh, I understand," a voice whispered from behind him. Ao's eyes widened as the figure before him once again disappeared. The words gurgled in Ao's throat as a kunai quickly slit his throat, blood flowing down his front. He fell to his knees, eyes bulging, mouth gaping. Naruto turned away from the sight and pulled the mask back over his face with a dark look.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way." Naruto whispered as he fled out the window, and he meant it.


	21. Revenge at Long Last

_Revenge at Long Last_

Sasuke kept his rage under control, maintaining his cool demeanor. But something else was eating at him. Something that made the hollow feeling in his chest grow, expand, until it enveloped him entirely and threatened to spill over.

He wouldn't stagger under its weight, and kept his posture straight and tall.

Sasuke thought of Naruto's face. That accusation in his eyes, the brutal heat of his words, how he had looked at Sasuke like he was truly untrustworthy. Like he was a villain, after all. Sasuke took a deep breath.

It was sadness he was feeling. And Sasuke didn't care for it.

He had been allowed a moment to visit the Uchiha memorial under disguise. The Mizukage was resting on a bench nearby, and he sneered at her peaceful figure. He had doubts about Tsunade's newest friend, but he shook the thought and turned his focus to the memorial. It was the last place in the world he wanted to be, but after the confrontation with Naruto, he found he couldn't ignore it. He was pulled towards it still, following the grief.

Nagato had blasted away all evidence of his past. Now all that remained was polished marble engraved with the names of the dead clansmen sitting at the center of a circular public garden.

Now that he was here, staring at the names, at the brief history of the stone's meaning, he felt his blood curdle in disgust. It was something he had avoided when he had first snuck into Konoha's walls, all those months ago, seeking out Naruto. He hadn't dared himself to pause, because he knew if he had, he would have never seen Naruto that night.

How dare the Leaf dedicate a memorial towards the very clan they had annihilated? The memorial's purpose, to Sasuke, seemed more of a mockery, an example of what happened to those who strayed more than anything. It infuriated him beyond rational thought.

Children, infants, wives,mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins…all dead. Slaughtered by his brother's hand, true, but it had still been an order carried out by the Council itself. Still authorized. Tsunade might not have had anything to do with the massacre, but the Elders on the other hand…

The Elders had helped conspire. They had decided it. Sasuke's hands formed into fists, so tightly clenched his knuckles turned white, and what little nails he had bit into his skin. He had vowed vengeance. He had promised to bring suffering and death to the murderers of the Uchiha clan. Had he not trained for this day?

He thought of Naruto again, thought of the distance put suddenly between them. Suddenly deciding to actually carry out the revenge didn't seem like such a bad idea. Not when everything he had was gone, or hated him.

His mind whispered dark thoughts. These people ordered the deaths of so many innocents, and never lost a wink of sleep over the fact that they had exterminated an entire clan and its children. Hadn't Susano'o made him realize that by destroying Konoha in its entirety, he would be delivering the same justice upon Konoha that had unleashed upon the Uchihas? Children, infants, defenseless women, unsuspicious men, all had been killed despite age and affiliation. They were Uchiha, therefore guilty.

Could the same be said for Konoha and its inhabitants? He thought of Naruto again, and unclenched his fists. _No. I would never stoop to such a pitiful level. Not now. Not anymore._

He would stick to the plan he had originally created before Susano'os influence: the Elders would die for their crimes. Naruto should have realized his drive to reach Konoha had more meaning than simply putting distance between themselves and Madara. Danzou was dead, maybe not exactly by Sasuke's own hand, but dead nonetheless. Now all that stood in his way were the Elders.

Sasuke had waited patiently for this. In truth, he genuinely felt for Naruto. Maybe one day, when this was over, Sasuke would be able to admit to Naruto that he was in love with him; but in this moment, there were other things that took precedence.

Later, he would realize he had taken his closeness to Naruto for granted.

He had used the circumstances to get closer to his target, despite his feelings. He had done so not knowing what he would do once he was here. Not knowing if he would truly carry it out, but now, seeing this memorial, his mind was made up.

If only the ANBU had killed him before he was inside Konoha's gates (as were their orders!) but Naruto had put a stop to it, even when he'd seen Sasuke kill that guard, he wouldn't allow a hand to be laid upon Sasuke.

Naruto…

Naruto…

Naruto…

_That idiot_, he thought, closing his eyes, but it wasn't a venomous thought. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, noticing the gingko tree. Sasuke had seen the tree that grew next to the memorial. He'd noticed the slashed initials. His gut twisted, and he felt pained at the thought. He balled his hands into fists, and grimaced.

He wished he could tell Naruto he was sorry to have planned this. He wished, quite suddenly and feeling slightly foolish for it, that he had bothered to tell Naruto he loved him, at least once, before this had happened. What if, gods forbid it, he never saw Naruto again after this?

But he wasn't sorry, and now it was too late. He wasn't going to change his mind about this. Not even for Naruto.

"That's enough now. It's time to go," Kakashi whispered, his one gray eye fixed upon Sasuke. Sasuke swallowed, fighting the urge to unleash his rage at that very second. But to be successful, he needed to be convincing. He turned, following Kakashi, and his anger mounted with every step.

* * *

><p>Homura Mitokado poured the tea steadily, though his hands shook slightly. The only source of light in the room was the ruddy light of a flickering candle. He turned to his companion, half of his face eclipsed in shadow, the crystal of his glasses lenses glinting in the candlelight as he handed her a cup of tea. A clap of thunder sounded from outside as the rain continued to pour.<p>

"She truly will be the death of us. She might as well be trying to have us killed!" Koharu Utatane muttered darkly into her cup before taking a delicate sip.

"As if we didn't have enough to worry about! Now, Sasuke Uchiha is running rampant within our gates! He will come for us, Koharu. He will come."

"I know." The old woman whispered. Hamura's hand fluttered to his sleeve.

"You know what to do if he gets past the guard-"

"Of course. We'll drag the brat straight down to hell along with us. Don't worry, Homura, he won't survive," the old woman said irritably. At that moment, a strange _thump_ echoed from behind the closed door of their quarters. Koharu put down her tea, and Homura stood, sweat beading on his brow.

"He is here." He tried to hide his unease, his fear. Koharu didn't move, she stayed sitting comfortably on her pillows, and picked up her cup of tea again.

"Let him come," she said.

There were more sounds of a struggle, another thump, a scream that ended too abruptly. Koharu took another sip of her tea.

"I'm surprised Kakashi let him come this far," she commented, bemused.

"The fool's either dead or close to it," Homura reasoned. At that moment, it suddenly quieted. For a long moment, Homura waited, poised and ready, sweat beading on his upper lip. Koharu still drank her tea.

"Relax, Homura. He will come. Patience."

It was then that the door exploded in splinters, showering the Elders with flecks of wood and smoke. In the doorway, his Mangekyo Sharingan activated, stood Sasuke Uchiha.

"Ah, Uchiha. We have been waiting," Koharu said as she stood, her cheek bleeding from a splinter that had struck her. Homura's hand fluttered to his sleeve once more.

"You will die for your crimes against the Uchiha clan!" Sasuke hissed. Homura laughed.

"Crimes? You've a lot to learn about the world, boy. We saved the country from war-!"

"They were Uchiha," Koharu interjected as she stood. "And therefore, they needed to die. Women and children all. Hatred is passed down generation to generation, as you have so excellently exemplified. And after your death, it shall also be seen to that that little monster of yours is carefully taken care of."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You won't get a chance to touch them." He pulled away his sleeve, revealing the seal on his wrist. The Elders responded just as the shuriken were summoned and thrown, sizzling with lightning as they shot forward with amazing speed.

Koharu deflected numerous shuriken with a kunai she had hidden in her sleeve. Homura dodged deftly, and from his sleeve, produced a scroll. Sasuke leapt away as it was produced. Multiple shuriken erupted from the scroll like angry hornets, clashing with Sasuke's lightning ones. Sparks illuminated the room. Sasuke sent another shower of shuriken, and the Elders were ready. They came quickly, but as Koharu reached out to deflect them, she gasped. Her kunai met nothing but air.

"Homura!" she shrieked, but barely in time. Her companion had realized, at that precise moment, that the shuriken were nothing but shadows. Real shuriken burst forth from the shadows the Elders had tried to deflect, and Koharu was struck in the chest multiple times. She groaned, clutching at her bleeding chest and plucking the shuriken from her flesh.

Sasuke extracted his blade, noting that Homura was abandoning his weapon scroll, and charged. Homura had pulled a blade from the scroll, and he met Sasuke head on in a shower of blue sparks. His blade quivered, and he felt a surge of electricity up his arm as he clashed with the lightning blade. His arm prickled numbly.

Sasuke leapt away, dodged Homura's slash, and jabbed with his own blade. Sasuke's eyes quickly darted to the corner where Koharu lay, and Homura slashed again,trying to distract him, but Sasuke had already taken notice of the blood seal on the floor.

Homura pressed forward, but Sasuke dropped and rolled away, Homura's sword leaving a gash in the wooden floor. Sasuke darted towards Koharu, but Homura did his best to keep him at bay. With an aggravated yell, Sasuke slashed with his lightning blade, and twin dragons made of lightning burst forth from the tip of the sword like snakes.

Homura attempted to deflect them, but one grabbed his sword between its sizzling teeth, while the other wrapped around his leg and bit into the back of his neck. He screamed, convulsing as the electricity coursed through his body. The pain…His skin was on fire…

His eyes swiveled to Koharu, whose head rolled away as Sasuke brought the blade down upon her, but he hadn't reached her in time. Koharu hadn't tried to fight back, as was the plan. She had let the Uchiha come. The blood seal spread, covering the floor and the walls. Homura laughed.

"Die, Uchiha!" he screamed through his delirious laughter as darkness filled his vision. He was dying and he knew it, but it had been the plan.

The Elders' quarters began to glow, and Sasuke darted for the window, heart racing, a sense of instant panic gripping him coldly, but his skin burned as he touched the glass. The second he'd touched it, the seals appeared on his hands.

He watched in horror as the blood seal began to form all over his body. The walls and glass were red hot, like molten metal. Sasuke's skin began to glow. He looked to the window, and saw the sky veined with lightning. A million thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. The lightning flashed, and he remembered thinking that the fleeting blue light of the lightning was similar to the blue of Naruto's eyes.

"Naruto…" It was all he had time to say, to think.

The room exploded in flame and heat.

* * *

><p>Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. He should have known, should have realized what Konoha meant for Sasuke. What was the strength of the guards Tsunade had surrounded the Uchiha with compared to his hatred for the Elders? He'd come to this conclusion once he'd realized Sasuke was nowhere to be found, and Kakashi had been found, unconscious and under a genjutsu, but otherwise only badly bruised.<p>

Naruto was leaping over rooftops and running along with a group of ANBU. As long as he was careful about the amount of chakra he used, he didn't tire too quickly. Despite the seriousness of the moment, an absurd thought popped into his head.

He hoped all this running didn't give the child brain damage or something from all this jostling. Could that happen? He smiled tightly. Leave it to him to think of something like that in midst of a crisis.

Naruto's disappearance had been noted and a team was looking for him, Ao had been found dead, the Mizukage and the rest of her guard were surrounded, and the ANBU were in a frenzy trying to split themselves up accordingly so that each group had enough men for the jobs at hand. Naruto kept his chakra masked, and continued forward with his stolen garb. So far, no one had questioned or stopped him. It was much too chaotic.

He had to find Sasuke, and quickly. Naruto had to stop him before it was too late. The moron! But maybe the temptation to seek out the Elders had been too much this time around. He thought of earlier that day and clenched his jaw, heart thumping. Would this had still happened if he'd tried to listen to Sasuke?

He didn't want to know to the answer to that.

The story was that Sasuke had fooled the ANBU guard, and Kakashi had been wounded in the struggle and caught unaware. The orders were to go straight to the Elders quarters to protect them.

If they found Sasuke, Naruto doubted Tsunade would hold back on her orders for his death any longer. He ran faster. Despite what had happened, he couldn't let allow Sasuke's death to take place. He wouldn't let it happen! Then, when he found Sasuke…then…

Then what? He hadn't given it much thought past "find Sasuke, stop him, and run like hell". Part of him didn't know why he was doing this for the bastard, especially given the fact that he was so pissed at the Uchiha he wasn't sure if he had even forgiven him yet. Why save Sasuke's ass, when it was clear to Naruto what he meant to do? _Because I love the bastard. Because I still believe in him._

Sasuke hadn't defended himself when Naruto accused him, but there had been emotion in those dark eyes that gave Naruto hope and pause in his accusations. Sasuke had also given him the idea to protect himself tonight, and he couldn't have known what was going to happen.

Why would Sasuke do that? Maybe he'd wanted to talk to Naruto about it. The Elders, the baby, even. Maybe he'd been planning on telling Naruto what he was up to. Maybe Sasuke had been thinking twice about it.

Sasuke could deny it all his pretty little ass wanted, but Naruto _knew_ he had been waiting for the baby to move against his hand.

The building was in sight, and Naruto's could hear his heart in his skull. He had to reach Sasuke before the others. He looked to either side of him, noting the group he traveled in.

"Forgive me," he whispered. He formed the seals quickly, and multiple Shadow Clones burst into existence, instantly forming into two teams and forming rasengans as they materialized.

It caused more chaos and confusion.

The ANBU reacted quickly, but they didn't rid themselves of enough clones before the rasengans hit the ground. The ANBU were stalled by the explosions, but ultimately unharmed.

As soon as Naruto's feet hit the ground he was running. Then the Elder's quarters exploded, and Naruto screamed, thrown back with a jerk from the force of the explosion.

"No!"

Naruto righted himself and ran as fast as his body would allow. The burning building collapsed, spitting fire and embers.

He sank to his knees before the heat, but didn't feel its burn.

"SASUKE!"


	22. Naruto's Sorrow and Gaara's Plea

_Naruto's Sorrow and Gaara's Plea_

Tsunade was preparing to leave her office for the night when an ANBU guard came crashing through her doors. She perked up immediately, startled and on the alert.

"My gods, what now?" she demanded, mentally preparing herself.

"We've been betrayed," came the answer. The ANBU guard was panting, hunched over. She seemed spent.

Tsunade felt a chill, then it quickly blossomed into rage.

"Where is Sasuke Uchiha?" she cried.

* * *

><p>The heat from the hungry flames was intense, and Naruto was instantly sweating. But he didn't care. The flames popped and cackled, more of the building's wooden frame collapsing.<p>

"Get back!" a voice yelled as another explosion rocked the destroyed building. Naruto was thrown backwards, but found his fall was softened by sand.

Gaara no Sabaku, Kazekage, who had also been staying at Konoha for the night before returning home to Suna in the morning from the Kage meeting, was at the scene with his own ANBU. He had reached out with his ultimate sand defense, and caught Naruto deftly in a hand molded out of sand.

"There is nothing you or anyone can do now. We were all too late," Gaara said quietly, stepping closer. Naruto stared, wild-eyed, at the burning building. Frantically, he searched the flames, willing Sasuke to appear.

He didn't.

"He's still in there, we've got to go in there!" Naruto cried hoarsely. Gaara shook his head.

"No, Naruto, he is not," the Kazekage said sadly, jade eyes reflecting the orange and red flames.

"I've got to go in and get him. He might be trapped-" Naruto said dumbly and tried to dart away, but Gaara stopped him with sand, keeping him rooted to the ground, the sand that snaked up Naruto's legs hardening like rock.

"He's still in there!" Naruto snarled viciously. Gaara shook his head. Naruto fought, going as far as to suddenly summon clones and irrationally attempt to blast through the base of the sand with a rasengan. Gaara hindered this too. His heart clenched painfully in his chest.

"LET ME GO!" Naruto cried, howling as the burning building spat more fire and embers and wood. What little was left of the Elder's quarters then caved in on itself. Naruto stilled.

Gaara approached him silently. "Naruto-"

"Gaara, let me go," Naruto said in a low growl, enunciating each word slowly. Gaara paused, staring at the back of Naruto's head. He frowned. He almost didn't notice it, given the red glow of the fire. He almost didn't see the red chakra rising off Naruto's skin like steam. His eyes widened.

"Calm down, Naruto. Please," he urged softly, but the blond snarled. Tsunade arrived then, along with more of Konoha's ANBU, her face pale as a sheet. She shielded her eyes from the heat with her arm.

"Naruto!" she yelled, clearly frightened. Naruto was hunching over, fangs bared, eyes red as blood. Tsunade and the ANBU halted.

"Get me Yamato!" Tsunade screamed, and two guards shot off into the night.

"Let me go." Naruto's voice was hushed, deadly. Gaara stepped forward.

"Don't you dare take a step towards him! You'll only entice the Kyuubi more!" his brother, Kankuro, yelled, but Gaara paid no heed.

"My Lord!" Gaara's ANBU cried, but Gaara blocked their path with sand.

"Stop him, we can't have Naruto angered further!" Tsunade yelled, and both Leaf and Sand nin shot forward, only to be swatted away like flies.

"GAARA, DON 'T!" his sister, Temari, was screaming.

For good measure, Gaara encased himself and Naruto in a dome of sand to keep the others (and Naruto) at bay. In the dark of the sand dome, he reached out, grabbing hold of his friend's shoulders, wincing from the heat of the Kyuubi's chakra.

Naruto snarled and tried to shake him off. Tears were in the blond's eyes, which were now glossed over completely in red. No whites or pupils could be seen. The tears that managed to fall sizzled on his skin and rose up in steam with a hiss.

"You're stronger than this, Naruto." Gaara said. Naruto's head turned, glowing red eyes boring into Gaara's bottle-green ones. A devilish smile split his face.

"No, he's not," Naruto hissed, his voice no longer completely his own. Gaara's eyes narrowed, his grip tightened. The Kyuubi snarled, struggled, and laughed.

"Fool. He is mine now. To think I might not have even needed the runt inside him, just the death of his beloved Uchiha. Good riddance, those eyes were sinful."

"I know you're in there, Naruto. Come back to me. I won't let you do this," Gaara said softly, disregarding the demon's remark. The demon laughed.

"No, the weakling is never coming back."

"Come back, Naruto!" Gaara urged. "Come back to the friends who love you." The demon-possessed Naruto narrowed his eyes, and chuckled darkly.

"Pitiful human. The only one who could possibly succeed at this is dead. Trust me. He'll never love you. You will never be as important to him as that Uchiha was." Gaara froze at the demon's words, caught off guard, and the Kyuubi attempted his escape, but Gaara held tight.

"No," Gaara whispered. Snarling, the demon struggled, and attempted to claw at Gaara's face, slicing skin open from the corner of his left eye to the corner of his mouth. Gaara was not deterred.

From outside, he could hear the muffled yells and shouts. He could banging on the sand dome as nin desperately tried to break in.

It would never work.

Gaara moved closer, and closer still, until he was hugging Naruto to him in a vice-like embrace. The second tail had not yet erupted, the demon was only as strong as the body he possessed. Gaara's clothes were burning, but he kept at it.

"Come back," he hissed, through pain and desperation.

* * *

><p><em>Come back, Naruto.<em>

From deep within, Naruto could hear the voice, soft and urging, but he lay floating in the pool before the Kyuubi's gate, defeated, in shock, and utterly numb. The demon gnashed its jaws.

"Let me out entirely. You have nothing left to live for," it urged. Naruto said nothing, only lay in defeat, eyes wide but seemingly not seeing.

"Wasn't fast enough," he muttered. He…damn it. He was useless. Finally, he fights against the current, and Sasuke dies on his watch. His. In the shock that followed that thought, a sound broke past his lips. Something desperate. A terrible wail that made him cringe. For a moment, he didn't realize the terrible sound was of his own making.

He trembled.

"Let me out, Naruto!" the demon howled.

_Come back._

"Now, whelp! You have the power! You have the power to do what you desire. Let them know your fury. They killed him. Those people who claim to support you, took him from you! Let them know your rage," it enticed.

_Come back_. There it was again…a silent beckoning. A plea.

"Now!" the Kyuubi growled. Naruto stared at it, looking deep in its yellow eyes, watching the flicker of its garnet fur. It moved like flame. Garnet…just like Sasuke's Sharingan.

Then he heard it. A steady drum of a heartbeat, still bouncing off the steel walls of the prison despite the chaos outside.

And Naruto remembered the child. He remembered telling it don't worry. He blinked, and slowly stood. The Nine Tails laughed uproariously.

"Idiot boy. I will be the death of you and the little monster in your belly. To think that I would allow another set of eyes like that into the world! It's weakened you. You cannot keep me at bay. I will win this war. Surrender now and die peacefully, before you cause you and the runt a miserable death."

It flashed a toothy grin. Naruto looked to the gate numbly.

_Come back._

He swallowed. For a moment, he felt like collapsing again. He couldn't do this. He was a failure. He was…

No. He had to do this.

"If I die, you'll die with me. This I promise you," Naruto vowed darkly, and closed his eyes as the Kyuubi cursed and thrashed. When he opened his eyes he found that Gaara was holding him. Naruto felt weak, and leaned against him, shoulders slumped. He felt dead inside. Dead, tired, and hollow. His skin burned. It hurt to blink.

"I knew you'd come back," Gaara whispered. Naruto said nothing, and the sand dome encasing them fell away. Tsunade ran forward, grabbing Naruto by the shoulders. Her eyes swept over Gaara, grateful but disapproving, then barked out orders.

"Get them both to the hospital! Now!" she yelled. She pointed to another team.

"Reign in that fire. I want the bodies recovered."

"Yes, my Lady."

Naruto listened to the voices as he was lead to the hospital, but he refused to be helped, shoving the guard that offered to help him roughly away. The rest of the night passed in a blur. Burned remains of Homura were found. A hand had been discovered. Koharu's. There was no sign of Sasuke. Naruto was too afraid, too tired, to hope.

Naruto lay in his hospital bed, listening to the heartbeat of the baby, which reverberated through the room from the monitor he was hooked up to. Naruto's actions had caused some stress, elevating the fetus's heartbeat enough to cause concern and a stress test.

It seemed fine now.

There was a knock at his door as it opened a crack. Sakura had come to check on him once more. Naruto and Sasuke's presence in the village had been kept a secret, until the Elders were killed. At that point, Tsunade had informed the other nin she trusted what had happened.

Sakura stood by the edge of his bed, her emerald eyes dull. She didn't look him full in the face. Naruto pretended not to notice, though his heart clenched.

"They didn't find him, but they don't see how he could've escaped that. His blood was there though, Shizune performed a thorough analysis. He was in there when it exploded. The bomb the Elders activated…he would have had to have a really good trick up his sleeve. Shizune suspects he was made into a living bomb, and that's why we can't find him. There's literally nothing left..." She stopped, unable to continue. Naruto said nothing, only looked away.

"I didn't get to him in time," he said quietly. Sakura sighed.

"Naruto..."

"I should have known. I should have never agreed to come here with him-" Gods, he was so stupid-

"Naruto he used you to get here. Don't you get it?" Sakura hissed.

"I should've-" he said, but stopped when he'd realized what Sakura had said. He looked at her dumbly.

"You can't save everyone, Naruto." She took off his monitors. Her fingers were cold. Naruto looked at her.

"No. I can't," he conceded angrily, lowering his head and looking away, not wanting her to see the tears.

I can't save everyone. He listened to the baby's heartbeat, losing himself in the sound. If he concentrated on something, anything, the pain was a little easier to bear, the rage a little easier to reign in. He wrapped his arms around himself.

He took a rattling breath.

"You should have killed him when you had the chance."

Naruto's eyes widened at Sakura's sudden words. She was puttering about now. Cleaning up. Checking numbers that didn't need to be checked.

"He's better off dead, and you're better off with it. He compromises you, and the way things are now…you can't afford to feel torn. The Sasuke we knew? He's dead, and now he always will be. So get over it, Naruto. He could have killed you with everything you allowed him to put you through!" She started to cry, and her voice shook.

"He would have chosen his success over you any day." She wiped her eyes, her voice so cold Naruto couldn't believe it was Sakura who was speaking. Naruto said nothing. He looked away, bit the inside of his cheek so hard it bled, but it was better than screaming at Sakura. Physical pain, he decided was better than emotional pain. Unlike the latter, physical damage stopped hurting much, much faster.

At that moment, the door opened again, and Tsunade entered, grim-faced, accompanied by Gaara, who was flanked by his siblings. Kankuro and Temari kept their features schooled, but Naruto eyed them angrily, wondering what they're thoughts must be.

"You will be leaving Konoha in the morning. Madara will become aware of this soon if there are spies among us, but that is the plan. We're planning a false trail."

"Where will I go?" Naruto asked hoarsely.

"To Suna. With me. We leave for the desert at dawn," Gaara answered steadily. Kankuro and Temari eyed Naruto warily. Naruto looked into Gaara's green eyes, and nodded in understanding and silent gratitude. He flushed slightly in shame when he noticed Gaara's stitched up cheek.

Gaara had become an invaluable friend. As someone who had once known the curse of losing control to a Tailed Beast, Gaara was able to understand the pain and hardship Naruto went through.

"I wish to speak with him…alone," the Kazekage demanded suddenly. Tsunade pursed her lips, but did not argue. Slowly, people trickled out of the room. Temari and Kankuro waited outside by the door.

"Tsunade should have come to me first instead of Mei," Gaara said quietly. Naruto grimaced.

"I know."

"However, I can understand why she took the risk-"

"It doesn't matter now. It's over," Naruto interrupted in a flat voice. He didn't feel like talking.

"The Kages are under the impression that you will be moved elsewhere. Besides the Mist, the rest are still unaware of your condition. You will send three different clones tomorrow. One will travel with Sakura and Kakashi under the guise of an ANBU guard, another also in ANBU garb with a group put together by Tsunade, and the final one will not be disguised, traveling with a team I put together. You will come with me under the guise of one of my own personal guards until we are well past the village walls."

For a long moment, there was silence. The two sat in the dark room, and listened to the sound of a young heart beating.

"I'm sorry about Sasuke. Truly. I understand you must be in a lot of pain," Gaara whispered. Naruto clenched his fists. He would not cry in front of Gaara. He wouldn't. The tears he needed to shed…he wanted to let them fall when he was alone. He just wanted to be left alone in peace for a moment. He did not desire any company, although he made an exception with Gaara.

"It was…my fault. I should have never allowed us to come here," Naruto said with a bitter taste in his mouth. He had allowed it, it was true. He could have fought Sasuke on the matter of Konoha harder when they were in the forest. He could have dug his heels in and refused.

"Yes," Gaara agreed, the edges of his voice uncharacteristically hard. Naruto looked up in surprise.

"Naruto, you are the most amazing and influential person I have ever met, not to mention powerful. For that, I respect you. But…You need to grow up, Naruto. I cannot stand to see you used. You must be able to see these types of things for yourself, even in the people you care for. In that way, you are still naïve." The cold anger lacing Gaara's tone was like a slap in the face.

Naruto blinked away hot tears, reigning in his anger. Gaara turned to leave, but not before he turned to say one last thing.

"You are my friend, and because you are my friend, I…care about you. In Suna, no harm shall ever come to you or your child. I swear it. I will protect you when you have need of me, and I will never abandon you," Gaara whispered, and Naruto noted the look of agony that spasmed across the Kazekage's face for the briefest moment.

If he wasn't brimming with anger he would have been kinder.

"Get out, Gaara. Please," Naruto muttered. The fact that he had just ordered around a _Kage_ was lost to him. Gaara frowned, pain apparent in his eyes, but he left. Then Naruto was left alone in the dark room, alone with his thoughts, his child, and his tears. The rain continued to fall.


	23. Keep Your Enemies Close

_Keep Your Enemies Close..._

Madara Uchiha listened to Kabuto with half-hearted interest. He was draped across a chair, reminding Kabuto more of his alias Tobi. It was obvious Madara's thoughts were occupied.

"Not in Konoha you say?" the elusive nin sighed finally.

Kabuto nodded. "Our spies also say Sasuke is dead." Madara looked up at that bit of news. he was quiet, staring at Kabuto, before he laughed, much to Kabuto's surprise. The sound was short and mocking.

"Ha! That little bastard is as easy to do in as a cockroach. He'll show up," Madara said, unaffected.

"You sound confident," Kabuto replied, not so sure. He was still seething from the news. If Madara was this confident, however, Kabuto dared to hope a little. Perhaps his plans weren't over yet. He probably could have found a way around using Sasuke, but having Sasuke would make things _so _much easier. He brought his attention back to Madara, who was picking at a loose thread on his sleeve.

"He's an Uchiha." Madara insisted with an odd sort of pride. " If anyone were to succeed in killing him, it would be me or that blond lover of his." His voice grew dark, as if he were considering something. Kabuto noticed the thoughtful lilt. He waited for Madara to speak, wondering if Hashirama was on the Uchiha's mind. But suddenly Madara seemed to snap out of whatever reverie he'd been in. With a youthful spring that defied the body he possessed, Madara leapt off his seat. He locked his eye on Kabuto's form.

"If he's dead, I want his eyes." he ordered suddenly. Kabuto paused, surprised by this. It took him a moment to speak, to think of _polite _way to explain.

"But we have no real use for them, my Lord. Besides, my sources say he was burned-"

"If he is dead, I _want_ his eyes," Madara commanded once more, each word articulated slowly and thoroughly, as thought Kabuto were deaf or stupid. The medic nin grimaced, fidgeting.

"As you wish," Kabuto said, grudgingly. Madara stared at him for a bit, but then he shook his head, leaning in close to study Kabuto's face.

"Look at you. Carrying out my every will and whim, no matter how irrational, like such a _faithful_ little servant."

Kabuto frowned at this. Was Madara only playing with him? He ground his teeth in anger and humiliation. Madara turned away, seeming to take interest in something else.

"How is my army coming along?" Madara asked. Kabuto paused.

"The corpses are about ready. As for the others, they are wild and hard to contain."

Madara seemed satisfied. "Excellent. I want those animals released on the next raid. They're quite productive when it comes to raids and quick battles. How is the stock?"

"Depleting," Kabuto answered honestly.

Madara sighed. "Pity. Capture more during the next battle. Tell the Akatsuki to take one man or woman for every two they kill."

Kabuto nodded. The "stock" consisted of prisoners of war, experimented upon and made into wild, raging soldiers with curse seals that often gave them an inhuman appearance (and abilities) as the curse spread. This type of army worked quite well with Madara, and he enjoyed the madness and fear his "stock" caused. They continued to fight with vigor until their hearts stopped beating, making them difficult opponents since they didn't tire until they literally keeled over. Madara found a sick satisfaction in sending certain captured experiments upon their own villages, especially when the defending nin recognized faces.

It was priceless to watch.

"Your revenge on the Uchiha is complete with Sasuke's death, isn't it?" Kabuto asked suddenly. Madara paused. When spoke Kabuto noted the hint of rage barely concealed in Madara's tone. He shivered and touched his neck.

"It isn't complete until Konoha has fallen. As for Sasuke…I want him found if he's alive. If it can be helped, he isn't _allowed _to know the peace of death until I say otherwise. Implant his image into the brain of every experimental soldier you send out. I want the villages scoured, broken, and burned to the ground until he is left out in the open with nowhere to hide." He was quiet a moment, and Kabuto guessed that Hashirama was on his mind again.

"And Naruto-?" Kabuto began, but the Akatsuki leader cut him off.

"Keep an eye on him." Madara interrupted, as if the answer should have been obvious.

"But, if the Leaf-"

"No. We keep an eye out for him, and we'll take our chance once the opportunity arises. We will be the shadows that play against his bedroom walls. He won't evade us."

Kabuto crossed his arms. "So you'd rather not deal with it. I told you, I can be trusted with the task-"

Madara laughed. "I trust you like I trust a leech not to suck my blood. No, you'll stay by my side, Kabuto, so I can watch you. The war is beginning to turn more towards our liking. Let's not ruin it. For now, Naruto will wait. It was Sasuke I wanted so quickly, and he has evaded us. There is no point in me acquiring Naruto, not yet, until I have Sasuke so he can _watch._" The lethal threat in his voice made Kabuto wince. Still, he tried again.

"You wanted the child. I can give it to you," Kabuto pressed. Madara stared at him.

"Don't press me, Yakushi," he warned. Kabuto frowned, but then his features softened. He chuckled. Madara glared at him. Kabuto chuckled a little louder, much to the Madara's irritation. Kabuto quieted, a cold smirk splitting his features, contorting his placid features into a mask of malicious glee.

"Hashirama controls you still, even from the grave."

Madara froze.

Kabuto hummed a little. "It simply _infuriates_ you, doesn't it? Knowing that Sasuke may have what you never did. I'd say your wish for Sasuke to watch Naruto's death is more personal than you let on-"

"That's enough." Madara's voice was quiet, deadly. Even though he hadnt' been in his own skin for decades, Madara shivered inwardly, as if the ghostly fingertips of Hashirama were brushing against his corrupted soul, tantalizing and mocking. Kabuto's eyes widened slightly. Madara was suddenly at his side before he could waste the time to blink. Kabuto swallowed, awaiting punishment with a grim face. When nothing happened, he pressed further, confident from the lack of reaction.

"It angers you, and so, you want them to die in a _particular_ way."

There was a silence. Madara began to walk away.

"Make sure you know where Naruto is, and keep an eye on him. We must be there when the child is born," Madara said finally, ignoring everything that had just been said."If you are as prepared as you say you are, I doubt there is another like you able to handle it. The boy will give birth, lose control, and lose his life in the process. I will be there to control the Kyuubi so that it does not kill the child. I will covet both."

"Why," Kabuto asked, "When you could simply capture Naruto, and ensure you have both from the start? Isn't that what we've been striving for this whole time?" He felt irritated.

Madara paused in the doorway to the chamber. "The demon will be the breaking point in the war. All hell will break loose once it is free, and I will be the only one able to control it. I might capture Naruto beforehand, but the extraction wouldn't completely release the demon freely, as we both know. The Kyuubi would be sucked into another entrapment and a rather emotionless one at that. It's best to let the seal weaken and have it emerge naturally," Madara explained wickedly. Kabuto's eyes widened. _He's _been _planning this. I've been strung along. He's used me for informatain, and for my research. Once he realized the seal would be weakened during birth, he changed his course of action completely. The demon itself is much more of a temptation than merely possessing its chakra._

"But, at Mount Myoboku-I thought-"

"I wanted Sasuke and Naruto _both. _Did you not understand me the first time? That day wasn't a victory. You did bring me one of the deserters, however. But that pitiful little thing didn't even last a day. But what good is he to me dead?"

Kabuto grimaced. It was true, he hadn't succeeded in keeping Suigetsu alive. He hadn't been able to understand the poison that was coursing through the boy quickly enough before it killed him. Suigetsu was brain dead from ridiculously high fever before Kabuto could figure out what he needed to do to break it.

Madara's voice jarred him from his thoughts. "I will change this pitiful world, Kabuto. And I will do it with that demon unleashed, and the child. A demon freely at my side…that would cause more harm and fear than the weapon I could make with the combined ones I have worked so hard to extract. But I assure you, they won't go to waste. As for the child…it shall make an exceptional vessel once its body matures."

_Yes it will, _Kabuto silently agreed. Well, this certainly made his plan more difficult. Getting Sasuke away from Madara, when the older Uchiha wanted to kill him so badly, was going to prove difficult now. The birth of the demon child was also an event Kabuto was counting on to change the course of his and Madara's little game. Orochimaru could not be brought back with Madara so close to Sasuke. It was too risky. Too much could go wrong, and Kabuto wasn't willing to risk it. Madara would have be killed before Kabuto executed the final step of his plan, even if it meant giving up Madara's _Tsuki No Me_.

No, Orochimaru was a _far _more winning victory. What fun could he have ruling a world cast under a genjutsu, if his sannin partner was not at his side?

Not nearly as much, let me tell you.

He would have to kill Madara and preserve his Mangekyo, if it was possible. In truth, he still hadn't figured out how to touch Madara's corpse. It was protected by a powerful genjutsu activated upon opening its coffin, making it close to impossible to destroy without the right knowledge. With the technique likely being unique to Madara, it wasn't something Kabuto would find in a book or ancient scroll. He had been planning on using the demon chakra to try to destroy it. If anything, the demon's heat would be able to at least mar the paper thin skin-

"Kabuto," Madara's voice brought him out of his reverie. Kabuto's molten gold eyes slid over to meet Madara's crimson one.

He tried a different angle. It would be a _wonderful _advantage to have access to the Kyuubi as soon as possible. "You cannot guarantee the death of Naruto if you allow him to birth on his own. Something just may happen to thwart your plans. You shouldn't be so confident."

Madara chuckled at this. "You shouldn't be so skeptical."

Kabuto arched an eyebrow.

"What else are you hiding behind that mask?" the medic nin dared to ask. Madara said nothing, but his eye glittered.


	24. Akira

_Akira_

_SASUKE_!

A familiar voice was screaming. He could hear, but he couldn't see.

_Where are you?_ he thought, blindly searching.

_Sasuke_! the voice screamed that name again in anguish.

He groped in the darkness, trying desperately to find the source of the voice. He _needed_ to find the source of that voice. He needed to let the voice know…

He needed to let _him_ know! He needed to let the voice know-

His eyes snapped open.

Burned, bleeding, and broken, the young man awoke to a world filled with agony. He sucked in a painful breath through his teeth in a hiss, and attempted to open his eyes wider. He closed them again almost instantly. The light made the pain in his head throb more horrendously. Trying to get a grip on the pain that radiated everywhere, he tried to move his fingers. He touched soft cloth. Slowly, he let hand roam. He was lying in a bed, and from the feel of it, he had been seriously injured then treated, given the bandages he could feel.

What happened?

Where was he?

_Who_ was he?

The last question frightened him so much his whole body stiffened and tensed. Panic, black and raw, was sitting in his chest like a heavy boulder, making it hard to breathe. He tried to relax.

_Breathe_, he told himself. In. Out. In. Out. But his rapidly beating heart made it hard to breathe.

Voices, distant and muffled, could suddenly be heard, and he regained his breath then. He stilled, craning his neck toward the sound, wincing and biting back a groan as he did so. What the hell had hit him in the head?

He could hear a man's voice. Gruff around the edges, low and angry. It was far-off, distant.

"…Can't be bringing in every damn stray that happens to show up on our doorstep, Kanako! What the hell were you thinking? He could be dangerous. He could be Akatsuki! He could have hurt you!"

Another voice began to speak. A woman's. She scoffed. "That's enough, Eiji! I wasn't going to let the poor boy die on our doorstep!" the woman countered irritably.

"Do you even remember what happened to the farmer's daughter because she took pity on an injured nin? She took him in, and the next day they found her in her bed dead and raped!" the man's voice dropped to a low growl, and the woman was silent. Then she snorted in derision.

In his bed, the young man frowned deeply. He kept listening.

"Heh! Yeah, a young, good looking boy is going to make a pass at a middle aged woman like myself." she said with a laugh. "Besides, I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself. You worry too much. I took his weapons off him anyway-"

"WEAPONS!" the man called Eiji roared, so loudly the young man flinched beneath his sheets. "Did you even think about the children?!"

"WHAT SANE PERSON WOULDN'T CARRY A WEAPON WITH THEM THESE DAYS?!" The woman called Kanako hollered back shrilly. The couple argued, and the young man listened idly, keeping his eyes closed and his senses keen. The faintest click from the door silently being opened caused him, despite his pain, to leap from the bed immediately on the defensive.

A young girl who couldn't be older than thirteen stood in the doorway, her long brown hair in a braid complete with ribbons, her cheeks dusted with a rosy blush. She cowered behind the door with an odd little squeak at the sight of him and darted away, slamming the door closed.

He blinked, then realized, in embarrassment and slight horror, that he was naked.

Utterly. Naked.

The door was suddenly thrown open once more with brute force, revealing a hardened man in his forties with peppered dark hair, brandishing a dagger. His eyes widened comically at the sight of the young man and he quickly closed the door with a harsh snap.

"My gods, woman, did you have to do that?"

"Do what?" The woman yelled in indignation. The man grunted irritably from the other side of the door.

At this point, the young man was searching frantically for any sort of clothing. Apparently, he was looking in all the wrong places, because the room was pretty bare. And _gods_ his whole body hurt. It made looking for clothes agonizing.

"I think I should worry more about the ninja than you!"

"Oh put a cork in it, Eiji!"

The young man winced, pain shooting through his body as he eyed the drawers on the other side of the room. He contemplated crossing the room for them.

"Well, have you put some clothes on, boy?" the man roared from behind the door. The young man put his face in his hands. God these people were yelling loud enough to burst his freakin' brain! Grimacing, he suddenly realized there was a robe folded on the foot of the bed, partially covered by the blankets he'd thrown back. He covered himself.

"Well?" Eiji called, but he didn't wait for an answer. He peeked in, and upon seeing the young man was robed, opened the door. He walked purposefully into the room, the dagger glinting in his right hand. The young man kept a wary eye on it, body screaming in pain, but he was poised. If there was one thing he could remember, it seemed to be how to fight.

"What side do you fight for?" the man called Eiji pressed. He was met with silence and a steely gaze. The young man looked to the dagger, and watched as it trembled. A tremor of fear was shooting through the large man called Eiji. The young man looked back up at him, nonplussed.

"Speak, boy, or I won't hesitate to cut your throat!" Eiji promised, but his hand shook badly as he brandished the small blade. The young man narrowed his eyes, not flinching once, as the dagger was thrust closer to his face, pointing between his eyes. His mouth twisted into an annoyed grimace. How irritating.

Quicker than Eiji could have anticipated, his wrist was grabbed and painfully twisted. The blade fell from his fingers, useless. He yelled, more so in fright (it was obvious the young man was better trained at fighting. Eiji was just a simple farmer with a background of boxing in his youth) and the woman who had to be Kanako raced into the room with a kitchen knife, her thin face framed by bushy brown hair. The young man almost had to laugh at her antics and the knife, despite the stinging pain covering his skin. He released Eiji's wrist.

"I wouldn't come at a man like that if I'd never seen him before. You might just get yourself killed," he said, intending to come off as cold and intimidating. Eiji paled and backed away. Hearing his own voice felt odd to him, as if it were the first time he were hearing it. It was slightly rusty and hushed, as if he hadn't spoken in days. His gaze slid over to the woman.

"Thank you," he said. The comment threw her off guard, and she lowered the knife, blinking.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't let you die in out there in the rain. You were bleeding on the cabbages." She tried to hide her fear and suspicion. The young man looked at Eiji, who was red in the face from embarrassment, but had placed himself protectively in front of his wife. Little good that would do, the young man thought.

It was obvious to him that he possessed more physical ability than the man and his wife combined. He studied them quietly for a moment. Kanako had a sweet heart shaped face with large doe eyes, so her lower voice and rude tone clashed with her dainty face. Eiji was a large and stocky, broad chested man. He was dark from years of toiling under the unrelenting sun. He was rather plain looking, the young man decided.

"Who are you?" Eiji asked again, in a less demanding tone. The young man turned away to sit on the bed. He was beginning to feel dizzy, and the pain he felt was making his stomach tie itself in a nauseating twist.

"He's in pain," Kanako noticed. "Emiko, go grab that medicine!" Kanako barked at her slight teenage daughter, the one who had peeked in moments before. Emiko, who had been watching from behind the doorway, nodded and darted away. An injection of morphine, and some changed bandages later, the young man felt well enough to speak again.

But it was Kanako and Eiji who spoke first.

"So, who are you? What side are you on?" The question was asked again.

"Side?" The young man asked, a little dumbly. Kanako frowned at her husband. She whispered something in his ear. Eiji nodded wearily.

"What year is it, son?" He asked. The young man's throat felt dry. He honestly didn't know. That black panic was coming back. He shoved it away forcefully.

What year? What year? he thought frantically.

"Do you know your name, where you were born? Who're your parents?"

Silence.

"Amnesia. Figures, he had an awful head injury," Kanako declared. Eiji shot her a look that seemed to say as if it weren't already obvious.

"Do you know what happened to me?" the young man rapsed out. Kanako bit her lip.

"We heard a pop and this strange scream from outside in the middle of the night. When I went out, I saw you in the garden, face first in the dirt. You had some pretty nasty burns, but I was able to heal most of it with healing chakra. You're going to carry around that burn on your shoulder, but the rest will be minimal, thanks to the quick care you had. There was also…" she paused, voice trailing.

"What?" the young man pressed, oddly afraid.

"It's some kind of beast. It's dead, black and burned to a crisp. I think that's what screamed. I don't know what you were doing or who you were fighting, boy, but it must have been one hell of a fight."

The young man looked away. He had no recollection.

"Is it still out there? Can I see it?" He had to. He needed to remember what had happened.

Kanako looked doubtful. "We dragged it into the woods. Probably covered in maggots by now. It's…it's been a couple days."

More fear began to claw at the back of the young man's mind. It had been days? "I see…"

"Look, kid, you can have this guest bed for a few days, alright? We're not going to force you to leave. This part of the country's been pretty quiet, and you need a good rest. The clothes you had originally were hardly there, they were so burned up. There are some extra clothes in the drawer over there." Kanako said, tilting her head towards it.

Eiji threw her a warning look, dark eyes bulging, but she ignored her husband pointedly. They turned to leave, but the young man needed to know more.

"So there's a war going on right now?" he asked. For some reason, this observation bothered him, made his nerves race up his spine in a chilling trail. Eiji and Kanako exchanged a glance, then filled the young man in.

* * *

><p>As the days passed in the small village (known as Iwa), the young man grew stronger. In a week, he was well again. Often, he remained in his little room, gazing out the window and trying to remember the voice he had heard in his dreams before he had woken up all those days ago.<p>

He could never remember, and it made him restless. Eventually, he began to creep out into the house. Once, Eiji had found him cooking with Kanako. The young man suspected this had bothered Eiji for some reason. He supposed he could understand why.

Eiji was still suspicious, but Kanako had warmed up exceptionally, even enough to complain about her and her husband's marital issues (disturbingly enough) while washing the young man's wounds or changing his bandages.

He never said a word while she gabbed, just listened.

"You know, we can't keep calling you "boy or "kid". You need a name." She surprised him by saying one morning as she served him his breakfast. He blinked. A name…yes, he did need one, but all of his brooding (which always made him furious in the end because of his inability to remember) never amounted to anything. Maybe a flash of something here or there, but the flashes seemed to have no real significance.

"How about…Jun?" Kanako suggested. She laughed at the young man's grimace.

"You never know, maybe by suggesting a bunch of different names, you'll remember your own name." It was an interesting theory. But over fifty names later, (and a very annoyed Kanako and an equally annoyed patient) they hadn't come to an agreement.

She was fixing a bandage, muttering something about men and their stubbornness, when he surprised her with a question.

"When did you learn about medicine?" he asked, fascinated by her glowing green hand. The energy felt pleasant. Warm, and it almost seemed to hum. He wondered what else he had to rediscover about the world he couldn't remember. The silence had become defeaning. Kanako continued to apply healing energy to the terrible burn on his shoulder, and didn't speak until after she'd redressed it. She smiled sadly.

"I used to live in Konoha. The village hidden in the leaves," she said proudly. "It's a hidden village, a village where ninja are made. I was born and raised there. I was very interested in becoming a medic nin as girl. My father was one. I even went to the Academy, in the hopes I would graduate and have a team and sensei of my own. I never graduated, though. My mother became very ill, and I was needed at home. My father actually taught me how to harness my chakra into a healing energy when my mother needed it and he wasn't there. It was all I ever really learned to do. I never went back to the Academy."

He nodded slowly at her story and looked to the door, feeling as though he were being watched. Sure enough, he noticed Emiko peeking from behind the door, kneading the hem of her dress with her hands. She reddened when she noticed his gaze and fled. Kanako laughed.

"Oh that girl. You know how thirteen year olds are," she said fondly. The young man cocked an eyebrow. He didn't really know. Another child he'd seen often, a boy of only seven years old known as Kaoru, walked past the room and stopped to peer inside. He met the young man's gaze boldly. He was a short kid. Stocky like his father, with spiky brown hair and his mother's doe eyes.

"When are you going to get better so you can teach me how to fight?" Kaoru demanded. The young man's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. Kanako laughed.

"Kaoru, go do something useful!" she teased. The boy stomped his foot, his brow furrowed and his face scrunched in a serious frown.

"I know he's a ninja! I want to be a ninja too, see?" The boy demonstrated by taking a small kunai from his overall pocket. He flung it, and the little weapon lodged itself into the wall, destroying a picture frame in the process, much to his mother's annoyance and distress.

"Ooops." Kaoru took one look at his mother before he bolted. Kanako ran after him, waving bandages.

"AHH! KAORU! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT KUNAI IN THE HOUSE?!" she bellowed angrily, chasing after the tiny menace.

Kaoru squealed, yelling, "I WOULDN'T BREAK PICTURES OR PUT HOLES IN THE WALLS IF SOMEONE WOULD TEACH ME HOW TO THROW A KUNAI!"

It was then that the young man realized he was laughing. Laughing hard enough that he winced from the sting of his burns and the pain in his head. Laughing felt…warm, if that made any sense. These people…

These people had good hearts.

He'd grown fond of them. Eiji often tried to be the epitome of a manly man, but he had a soft side, it was easy to see. Kanako had a kind soul, but calling her gentle would be an understatement. Kaoru was the troublemaker, (obviously) and Emiko was quiet. Sweet, but very shy.

A week became two. Kanako had officially dubbed the young man "Akira" during dinner one evening the first week (claiming that he took after some handsome childhood crush of hers called Akira, which in turn gave birth to quite a few jokes and an uncomfortable and irritable Eiji), and much to the young man's chagrin, it had stuck, as his memory still hadn't returned.

Two weeks melted into three. Akira (which he had admittedly been identifying himself as throughout town) still hadn't left. Where could he go? He had no memory, no idea of where to go in a world burdened with war. He was treated nicely enough in Iwa.

The villagers were both wary of him and intrigued. Wary, because of the sword he constantly wore strapped to his back, but intrigued. It was safe in Iwa, tranquil, and Akira had a silent, mutual understanding with the family who'd taken him in.

The Yamagatas took care of him, and thought well of him, though he tended to listen to them more than reach out to them with words, and in return he worked alongside the family. He would often rise before dawn to help Eiji with the chores and crops. The first morning he had done this, he had surprised the older man, but Akira said nothing, just began to work. Eiji had smiled.

Kaoru often pestered him with questions about his supposed ninja life. It was a fun thought to entertain. He, a ninja? Akira didn't really think so, but he would indulge Kaoru all the same. Akira could do nothing but smile, (or, when he became annoyed after a few minutes, insist that if Kaoru did not stop with the questions, Akira would use Kaoru as target practice) and insist he knew nothing in front of Kanako.

...

One afternoon, he delighted the boy when Kaoru had accompanied him to the well for water. Kaoru had been playing with the kunai (which he claimed he had stolen off of a ninja, much to Akira's amusement) and tossed it at passing trees without ever embedding it in the bark once.

Akira had taken it from him and tried his hand at it. It sank in the bark up to its handle and Kaoru looked at him like he was a god.

Akira had laughed while Kaoru hopped from foot to foot, excited and shouting "I knew it! I knew it! You're a ninja! Do it again! Do it again!"

He and Kaoru spent much of the afternoon doing target practice (Upon returning back to the house, Akira had said the two had goofed off and spent the time swimming in the lake).

So it became his and Kaoru's ritual, every other day, to have "ninja" practice in the woods. Akira couldn't say where his knowledge came from, but every day, it seemed more believable that he might have ninja roots. He was sure he must have come from a family dedicated to the ninja arts. He began to remember things. Like how chakra worked, how to bring a spark of electricity made purely out of it to his fingertips, or concentrate it on the bottom of his feet to scale up tree trunks or walk on the still-as-glass surface of the pond by the clearing.

Each time he remembered, he felt exhilarated. But something was missing. Every night, Akira would wander back to his little bed, and would pray for his dreams to show him his past.

Every night, he dreamed of blue eyes. He would wake suddenly at night sometimes, breathing quickly and feeling alone, reaching out as if he might find someone lying next to him.

He would think of the blue eyes. It was always harder to go back to sleep after.

It was during a particularly bright morning, though a chill still clung to the air, that Akira began to teach chakra control to Kaoru. The boy was average in his attempts, but his dedication made him exceptional in Akira's eyes, though he never admitted that.

He bit back a smirk as Kaoru yet again attempted to stand upon the surface of the pond Akira had picked. He fell right through, spitting like a cat and cursing, splashing the water angrily.

"I'll never get it right Dammit!" he yelled.

Akira hid his grin. "Again," he instructed. Kaoru glared venomously at Akira, who was now definitely smirking and not trying to hide it.

Kaoru's glare turned into a look of surprise. Akira, on the other hand, wasn't taken off guard. He had known they were being watched.

"EMIKO GET OUT OF HERE!" Kaoru yelled heatedly, splashing at the water. The girl, who was sitting in a tree, stuck out her tongue at her younger brother, dangling her feet and legs cheerfully.

"Don't yell at me or I'll tell Mom what you've been doing!" she warned. Kaoru's face turned a splotchy red.

"Ugh! You're so annoying. Don't you have some food to go learn how to cook?"

Akira winced. It wasn't the smartest thing to say to any woman, sister or not, and Emiko had a bit of her mother in her.

She proved Akira right. "You idiot! See that I don't come down there right now and punch you in the head!" She hollered in a voice that rivaled Kanako's, shaking her fists, and Kaoru paled a shade, sinking up to his nose in the water.

"I can watch if I want, can't I, Akira?" Emiko asked, the adoration on her face enough to make Kaoru stick a finger in his mouth and pretend to gag. She glared at him. Akira turned to give Kaoru a sharp look.

"Sure," Akira said, hoping the scene would smooth itself over. Emiko beamed at him. He never got involved in their pesky, childish arguments. Even though they were amusing at times.

"Hey!" Kaoru cried out, popping back up from the water and feeling betrayed. He jabbed an accusing finger at his sister.

"You only want to be here so you can look at his ass!" Kaoru hollered. Emiko almost fell out of the tree from pure embarrassment.

"I DO NOT!" she screeched, loud enough to make Akira close his eyes and sigh, as if warding off a headache.

"Do too I read it in your diary! Akira is so handsome. Akira talked to me today. Last night I dreamed I went on a date with Akira-" Kaoru began to speak in a high-pitched, sickeningly adoring voice that was supposed to pass for a love-sick girl.

Akira hid a startled snort behind a cough.

Emiko had turned beet red. "SHUT UP, KAORU!" Emiko screamed shrilly, covering her ears, her eyes wide and face crimson. She really did fall from the tree then, but was caught deftly in Akira's arms. She looked up, tomato red, eyes glazed with tears. He placed her down gently, irritated by the childish argument.

"Alright, that's enough-" he began, but Emiko looked past him to her brother.

"You're never going to be like Haru so stop trying!" Emiko yelled, before running off. Akira was quiet, unsure of who Haru was, but he was obviously someone important to Kaoru, because the little boy scrambled out of the pond, throwing a rock in the direction his sister ran.

"STUPID!" Kaoru screamed, eyes filling with tears. He started to cry quietly then, and turned away from Akira.

"I'm not crying!" he insisted in a wobbly voice, though he wiped his face noisily on his arm. Akira said nothing. Kaoru kept crying, and Akira looked away, wondering what he should do.

After a moment, he walked up the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. For a moment he said nothing, but as he watched the boy swipe angrily at the tears, Akira felt a certain responsibility. The child needed someone, and it wasn't as if Kanako would magically appear. He sighed.

"She didn't mean it, Kaoru," he said quietly.

Kaoru wiped his nose on his arm again. "Yes she did! You shouldn't like someone stupid like her!" he spat. "I will be like Haru. I'll be just as strong, and brave!" he vowed.

"Only if your practice," Akira reminded him gently. "Why don't you give it another go?" Kaoru looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

"What if I can't do it at all?"

"Then I guess you'll never be a ninja. No man becomes a ninja if he doesn't believe he can be one," Akira stated matter-of-factly. To him, it was the softest approach, considering he was speaking to a seven year old. Kaoru nodded, determined.

"Right."

They walked home an hour later, the sun sinking behind them and setting the world ablaze with a golden glow. Akira had lifted Kaoru on his back, carrying him the rest of the way.

"Haru was my big brother," Kaoru explained. "He was a ninja, but…he died in a raid. He enlisted to fight for the war. Mom gets mad at me when I say I want to be one, and she doesn't want me to learn, because she doesn't want to lose us the same way she lost Haru," he said sleepily. Akira nodded in understanding. He almost felt a little uncomfortable, learning of this sad and intimate detail about the Yamagatas.

"He would be proud of you," Akira said finally. He meant it.

"He would, wouldn't he! I can stand on water! Woohoo!" The boy exclaimed, laughing, before quieting and resting his cheek against the back of Akira head.

"Don't ever leave," he whispered. "It's like having a brother again." Akira's heart clenched, but he said nothing.

I can't promise that, he thought, but he gripped Kaoru tighter and put him to bed for Kanako when they reached the farm.

Akira went to sleep that night thinking of the blue eyes.


	25. The Price of Vengeance

_The Price of Vengeance_

Another dawn broke a ribbon of sunlight over the horizon. In a shadowed corner of Iwa, where the first light had not yet touched, a farmhouse sat doused in shadow, still and silent and its family not yet awake.

Save for one.

Akira was staring at the darkened ceiling above him. Sleep had not come easy, and he found himself once again trying to pry into his memories after a bad dream had left him aching and nervous.

His brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed, as if he concentrated enough, sheer willpower would bring to mind what he'd lost.

But nothing came. Nothing at all, save for a vivid image of bright blue eyes. Akira saw these eyes many nights as he dreamed, but never got a good look at this person's face, and he was never able to remember when he woke.

The memory was so shadowy it was hard to tell if this person was a man or woman. But often in his dream, Akira was running after them, calling for them, or wrapped in their arms. He was kissing them, or even making love to this person, but all he could remember when he woke were their eyes. And there was a name.

_Sasuke_.

The name caused a stirring within his heart, made it ache, and he didn't know why. He hated the feeling; it made him angry. Though he couldn't be sure if the name was the blue-eyed person's, or even his own.

He kept this name to himself, like a jealously guarded secret, and had shared it with no one.

He tossed and turned, but finally gave up. Eiji would be awake within an hour or two anyway. He leaped out of bed, restless and agitated, haunted by his dream. Akira dressed quickly. A clean black long -sleeve, and pair of slightly faded though sturdy black pants.

He reached for the sword, which rested in a brown leather holster complete with a strap. He slipped it on, the strap crossing his chest, so that the sword rested across his back, easy to access with his sword hand if he ever need to reach back for it. Ever since Kanako had showed it to him and told him the sword was his, Akira rarely ever left without it. It was the only clue he had of his past. He crept out of his window; he didn't want to disturb Eiji or Kanako by using the front door.

A gust of icy wind blasted him in the face, and he sucked in a breath, invigorated. The cold helped to clear his head, shake the sleep from the corners of his vision. He leaped from the window (which happened to be on the second floor of the house. The first time Kanako had seen him do this, she'd screamed and had begged him not to kill himself because he had so much to live for. He'd laughed) and landed with grace effortlessly on his feet, steadying himself.

He took the dirt road into town, taking his time walking down the path, listening as the earth began to wake and the darkness around him faded to soft gray. By the time he reached the village square it was already busy and awake, buzzing with voices and barters. Restaurant owners often came at daybreak, eager for first picks of the best of the vegetables, the leanest of meats. A vendor, hollering about the pears he was selling caught Akira's eye and quieted, looking away.

Many villagers were still wary of him. Maybe it was the sword. Maybe it was because he wore all black. Maybe it was because he was quiet and didn't say or smile much. He marched forward, smirking at the thought of making the vendor uncomfortable. He stopped by the kiosk, taking a seat on a stool and cracking his neck just to see the man's eyes grow wide.

Really, making people nervous was too much fun when they thought you were evil.

But the vendor composed himself. The thin older man pretended not to notice. He tried selling a pear to a woman passing by, pointedly ignoring Akira, who rested his elbows on the wooden counter. The vendor became agitated, twitching slightly.

"Can I interest you in some pears, miss? They would go lovely in a fresh fruit salad along with your breakfast!" The young woman paused, looking in Akira's direction. She fluffed up her blond hair, eyeing Akira instead of the pear. She smiled distractedly at the vendor. Her face was lovely, heart shaped with a small, pert nose and full rosy lips. She had a slender, long neck.

But Akira could only appreciate her looks so much, and he looked away from her, much to her disappointment.

"I'll take one," Akira said, nodding at the pears, startling the vendor. The vendor frowned, the lines in his face deepening. Akira dropped some coins on the wooden counter, and the man grudgingly tossed the pear at him.

Akira wiped the fruit on his shirt to rid it of a smudge of dirt, eyeing the young woman who was now talking to a young man. He had to be her brother with that face and hair. Tall and lean, with a little muscle.

The young man had grabbed the woman's elbow with a smile, about to herd her somewhere else, when he caught Akira's eye. A slow grin tugged at his lips, and he took on a more relaxed stance.

Akira smiled, leaning against the counter with a devil-may-care posture and took a loud bite out of his pear.

He liked the young man's hair color. It was bright like sunshine. The woman walked forward, but the young man paused just long enough to flash Akira a pearly white grin.

His eyes were blue. Akira hummed with satisfaction as he took another bite. He liked the eyes.

Sexy. Very nice.

Akira's dark gaze roamed unabashedly, and the young man smiled all the wider. His sister called for him.

"I'll catch up!" he called back, and stopped by the kiosk.

"Excuse me, sir," he said the vendor, sitting down next to Akira, "I'd like to buy a pear." He looked over his shoulder at Akira.

Akira took another bite.

...

Despite the chill, Akira felt very warm. The heated breaths puffing past his lips were misting the early morning air. A muted groan bubbled in the throat of the blond man before him. He had him pushed up against a wall in an alley between a pawn shop and a restaurant, his hands splayed against the brick. Akira's nose was in his blond hair. He smelled like cloves. Exotic.

"Kiss me," he murmured, biting back a moan. Akira chuckled between thrusts, distracting him from this request by snaking a hand around his waist to grip his arousal.

Akira's latest fling shivered in anticipation, his request forgotten as Akira began to pump.

It became an erotic dance.

Forward, back, pump, groan, moan, squeeze.

Akira sucked in a breath of air in a pleasured hiss. He was growing impatient, however. He was here to pleasure himself, to get the roaring out of his blood, to try and ease the ache in his chest whenever he dreamed of the blue eyes. Pleasuring his new friend at this point almost felt like a chore. His one-time partners had always been willing however, and this one was no exception.

Akira had taken one look at his hair and eye color, and was sold. The young man had seemed shy at first once they left the vendor, walking in silence like two strangers who just so happened to be walking in the same direction. Akira hadn't been so sure if he was even the type to accept his advances, but he wooed him quickly, and now the blond was against him, breathing hard and moaning.

He was almost there. He closed his eyes. The young man tried tilting his face back towards Akira's for a kiss. Akira reached up and quickly grabbed hold of his chin, forcing him to look forward.

He was almost there.

Then it was over quickly. Akira pulled out with a sharp hiss, ejaculating into his palm. The youngman seemed disappointed by this, turning around and trying to bring Akira close, but Akira gently pushed himself away.

He was sated. For now.

The young man blinked, as if dazed by the speed of it all, as he pulled his pants back up clumsily. Akira nodded at him with a lazy grin and began to walk off, the ache in his chest now a hollow feeling that he was beginning to abhor.

This time, sex hadn't made him feel that great. He hadn't even asked the young man what his name was.

Slutty. He shook his head, ridding himself of the thought.

"Wait, hold on a sec." The young man grabbed onto Akira's hand. Akira looked back with a tired sigh.

"What?"

The young man faltered before saying, "Think I'll see you again?" He smiled nervously, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Oh, fuck. Akira closed his eyes and sighed. Damn it. He was such an asshole.

But he couldn't find the strength to care on the guy's behalf.

"I…I'd really like to see you again," his fling said. Akira watched him for a second, before he leaned forward, brushing a stray strand of blond hair out of his eyes. The blond sucked in a hopeful breath, cheeks flushed from the gesture.

"Once is all I need," Akira whispered in his ear. Like I'd see the same guy twice, he thought with a scowl.

He disappeared down the alley, trying to ignore the young man's heated curses. But, hell, he should have known what he was getting into. Who had sex like that, not even knowing your name, and didn't know what was coming afterward? Maybe he wasn't used to that kind of male attention and quickly got absorbed in it. Maybe he didn't get it that often. Maybe Akira should have never had him. Irritation swelled in his chest.

_Fuck it_. Wasn't his problem the guy couldn't keep his pants on, even if Akira had been the bastard who'd slipped them off with his own hands and pretty words. He probably deserved to get slapped or punched one of these days, and for some reason, he looked forward to the sting. It was better than feeling numb.

By then, the sun was high in the sky, and Akira relished its warmth. It left him wondering for a moment. He thought of his fling again. His hair had been yellow.

Why did that make the feeling in his chest even worse?

That night Akira dreamed again. Dreamed of the eyes, the blond hair. The name. Sasuke. He had woken up gasping, cursing, and had sat at the edge of his bed waiting for the sun to rise.

It was driving him mad.

* * *

><p>The next morning, while hoeing and tilling with Eiji, Akira decided to ask a question. If he was found in this village, it was possible that wherever he came from wasn't far. In that case, there was a small chance this Sasuke person had been heard of within the village.<p>

He almost didn't ask. A part of him still wanted to guard it, like a jewel or something precious, so it couldn't be stolen from him, or made to look like cheap junk with no value.

"Have you ever heard of a person named Sasuke?" Akira asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Eiji, who had been sleepily going about his business was suddenly alert, his eyes narrowed and suspicious.

"Why?" he asked, careful not to sound too demanding. But Akira could hear the sharp edge to his voice, and he wondered if he'd made a mistake.

"I just remember hearing the name, is all. I remember it from somewhere," Akira answered honestly. Eiji was quiet a moment.

"There are more than one Sasuke in this world, I'm sure, but there is one in particular that many people have heard of lately." Eiji struck the ground harder, with more force than he needed to. Akira fidgeted.

"Who is he?" Akira wanted to know, his heart beating a little faster.

"No one you'd want to cross paths with. He's part of the Akatsuki," At the mention of this, Akira's heart fell a little. Maybe this wasn't the right person.

"So he's dangerous?" he asked flatly.

Eiji nodded, grim. "Very. Though, he hasn't been seen in months. Maybe someone did the little fucker in." Eiji wiped the back of his hand across his forehead and seemed satisfied with this logic. Akira paused, staring at the gouges he'd made in the earth. He wiped his face with his shirt

"Maybe," he said quietly, before striking the earth again. He turned suddenly, senses picking up on something.

"Eiji, someone's coming." Akira pointed down the road.. Eiji stopped to look over his shoulder. Sure enough, a second later, a pinprick of a man could be seen bounding down the dirt road towards the house. Something was wrong, Akira could sense it in his gut. He tensed, and noticed Eiji was holding his hoe so tightly his knuckles were white. His face was twisted in a grimace.

Slowly, the neighbor got larger as he ran down the road, until he was close enough for Akira to make out the neighbor's dirt and sweat streaked clothing.

There was blood on his shirt.

"That's our neighbor, Takashi." Eiji noticed. The man coming down the road was now waving his arms. He opened his mouth to cry out, and one word rang out in the still early morning.

"RAAAAID!" Takashi screamed. Akira looked to Eiji, whose face had gone white, his eyes large with sudden fear. Suddenly, Takashi fell, face first in the dirt. Akira hurried to him.

In an instant, he was at the man's side, but Takashi was unnaturally still, not lifting his head from the dirt. A pool of dark blood was beginning to seep from underneath his prostrate form.

Akira flipped the man over, and noticed a kunai had embedded itself deep in his belly. A ninja's weapon. Akira stumbled away, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins. Eiji was already running down the road to the house. The field they were working on was two miles away from it.

It was the first time, since waking up weeks ago, that Akira had felt fear. He bounded forward, easily meeting up with Eiji.

"You can get there faster than I can!" Eiji huffed, face blotchy and red. Akira nodded in understanding and sprinted ahead. He'd be there in a matter of a few minutes, as opposed to the ten or longer it might take Eiji to run the two miles.

Soon Akira saw the farm house looming white in the distance. He ran harder. Faster. He had lost sight of Eiji a while ago.

The moment he raced up the yard, the sun had completely broken free, and Akira hardly noticed the chill. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from the distance he was at. He breathed a sigh of relief, but when he got to the door, he hesitated.

It was open, but only a crack. His heart hammered against his ribs, and though Akira knew no religion, he prayed as he gently pushed the door open and looked inside.

He screamed in anguish.

Blood. Devastation. Debris. Everywhere. To his left Kanako was lying on the floor, on top of Kaoru as if she had thrown herself on top of him in order to protect him, multiple odd stinger-like spikes embedded in her back. Kaoru had been struck in the neck, and he gazed lifeless up at the ceiling.

Emiko was nowhere to be seen.

Akira fell to his knees by Kanako and Kaoru's side, silent tears falling. He didn't even realize he was crying.

No, this couldn't be happening. This was wrong, it had to be.

Horrible images surfaced in his mind, and he realized they were memories of childhood, of days long gone. _There was blood…everywhere. Empty streets. It was dark. He only wanted to go home…see his mother and brother, but when he walked inside, he only found death._

A cry ripped from Akira's throat, bending him over, but it felt like it was bending his body in half.

"Uchihaaaaa."

A deadly, low voice hissed, and Akira snapped his head back up, the cries lodging in his throat as he sprang to his feet. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The name sent a shockwave through him. It was…familiar.

Akira looked around the living room, but the intruder was in the hall. A grotesque silhouette was sitting in the dark, and Akira recoiled in rage and despair when it stepped into the light.

Emiko's hair ribbon was caught between that monster's claws. Half of the creature looked human and male, but the other side of his body was deformed. The other side of his human face was a different shape, sharp and triangular with a beady red eye, half of his body covered in tough gray skin with spikes sprouting from underneath his wrists and shoulders. The arm on the grotesque side was unnaturally long, fingertips nearly dragging across the floor as it walked. The spike-like claws dug in and sliced through the carpet as it stepped forward.

_Rip. Rip. Rip_.

Akira had to keep himself from yelling and charging forward blindly. He trembled, a rage he couldn't remember ever feeling beginning to take hold.

He wanted that monster's blood spilled, it's body torn until it screeched for mercy. He clenched his fists, reaching back to grip the handle of his sword, glad that wearing it had become habit.

The creature grinned, revealing sharpened teeth."Uchiha," it hissed again, and struck.

With a flick of its claw-like hand, several spikes shot out towards Akira with incredible speed. In a flash, he had withdrawn his sword, using it as a shield to deflect the spikes.

With a roar, he charged at the beast, sword raised. It fanned out its claws, its middle one lengthening until it was the size of a small sword.

The beast slashed and jabbed, but Akira held him off. Seeming to grow bored of sword play, the beast pulled a different move. The spikes on its back seemed to glow, and bent its knees, shooting more of them Akira's way. Some ricocheted off the ceiling and walls as Akira dodged wildly.

He noticed the spikes were imbued with chakra, and so Akira resorted to his own. He had no idea how he knew how to do it, but the knowledge was there. He leaped away, dodging the chakra laced spikes and forming seals quickly, taking a large breath.

A cackling fireball exploded into existence, barreling into the hideous creature. It screeched, a blood curdling sound that made Akira wince, and it was thrown through the walls of the living room and tumbled outside, leaving a gaping hole in the house.

Little tongues of flame spluttered to life on pieces of furniture and on the debris that littered the floor. Akira waited, sure the blast hadn't killed the monstrosity, and sent chakra through his sword, making it sizzle to life with lightning. He stepped forward, his hand gripping the sword handle so tightly it hurt. He hoped the creature was still clinging to some sort of life just so he could-

"UCHIHA!"

The creature sprang towards him suddenly, popping up out of nowhere, slashing with its claws. Akira sliced through the elongated claws. The creature's eyes widened, and it brought its strange hand to its face in disbelief, eyes wide and confused.

It gave itself just enough pause for Akira to stab it. He had a hunch about the gray wrinkled skin, and so he stabbed the monster in its human side. The lightning sword sliced through the flesh like butter, the lightning electrifying and paralyzing the creature. It screeched again, and Akira drove the blade through the body so forcefully he plowed it into the ground.

The monster was pinned to the floor with the sword. Akira hovered over the creature, face contorted in rage and still streaked with the paths his tears had made.

"Who is Uchiha?" he demanded. Blood dribbled out of the side of the creature's mouth. It looked confused for a moment.

"U-Uchiha…" it croaked, and suddenly screeched once more, struggling as though it hadn't been pierced through the stomach and had regained its vigor. It tried to shoot chakra spikes once more, but it couldn't direct them as neatly. Akira merely sidestepped the attack. He stood up, bringing a foot down on the sword handle and driving it further through the body. The monster bellowed, writhing, and shrieking.

"Who is Uchiha?" Akira roared. When the creature failed to answer, he stepped upon the sword again.

"Who is it? TELL ME!" He sent more lightning coursing down the blade, and the creature seized with all the added electricity. The human hand of whatever the fuck that creature raised shakily. It grinned and pointed its index finger at Akira's face.

"U…Uchi…" It spluttered as it died.

"No. You don't get to die until I tell you to!" Akira hissed, but he knew it was dead, and that enraged him beyond belief.

"Tell me! Tell me!" He screamed as he plucked his sword from its body and stabbed it repeatedly.

Kaoru.

Kanako.

Emiko.

He could see the little boy from his misplaced memory again. Himself. He was hunched over his murdered parents. The little boy was alone. So very, very alone. And enraged. And terrified.

_Sasuke_.

Akira howled with rage, bringing the sword down once more, his vision blinded by tears. He didn't understand. Didn't understand why the only people to have cared for him needed to die this way. He could have saved them. He could have protected them-

"Akira! That is enough."

Akira brought the sword down once more, his clothes and face covered in gore. With a curse, he brought the sword up again, but a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Enough," Eiji whispered, his voice dead. Akira let the sword clatter to the floor.

"I…I should have gotten here faster," he gasped out. Eiji stared at his wife and son, tears silently running down his face, the spark of life usually in his eyes faded to a dull sheen.

He bent his head and squeezed his eyes shut, taking a shuddering breath.

"No. No. Don't blame yourself."

Akira looked through the hole in the house. He thought of Takashi, of the neighbor screaming about a raid.

"Why is it so quiet?" Akira asked suddenly. Eiji didn't say anything for a moment. He kneeled by Kanako and Kaoru.

Why was it so quiet? If there was a raid, where were the others? Where was the fighting?

Eiji didn't say anything. He ran out of the house, shouting for Emiko, leaving Akira alone in the house. A while later he returned, looking lost. He stood by his wife and son for a long time. Akira watched him. Finally, Eiji got on his knees and stared, as if sheer will power would make his wife and son stir back to life. Then , as if he had just come to understand what had happened, he clapped his hand to his mouth, but it didn't stop the heart-wrenching sob that slipped past his lips.

"Oh God! Oh God!"

Akira slouched heavily against the wall, listening to Eiji's wails, his eyes dry and stinging. His body felt like lead, his heart and mind numb. He listened. Listened to Eiji, listened to the distant screams that finally echoed from far away, listened and felt small explosions from the other distant parts of the village.

The house was on the border of the village, in the middle of farming fields. It was likely something could come along again, but not too likely. Sure enough, nothing else came. It grew dark and quiet, save for Eiji's sobs.

Akira watched the fields, looked to the horizon blowing smoke.

Should Akira have risen to fight? Gone straight into battle and helped the others? They had ninja, they didn't need him. Someone else could save them, because he sure as hell couldn't. And he didn't want to leave Eiji.

He and Eiji sat there well into the evening. Eiji had pulled Kanako's stiff body off of Kaoru. The boy looked so small, so innocent, in death.

_Don't ever leave. It's like having a brother again_.

The memory twisted Akira's heart. Eiji was now lying beside them, his hand reached out to be in Kanako's, Kaoru pulled close to his body so that he was in the middle.

It was the most depressing sight Akira had ever seen.

He rose, unable to bear it any longer. He stumbled off to the pond he and Kaoru had practiced at, and lost it. He fell to his knees, gagging on a sob, his breath caught so painfully in his lungs it burned and seared. He gagged, gasped, and sobbed, staring at his reflection. Shakily, he got to his feet. Kanako and Kaoru may be dead, but Emiko…

"EMIKO!" Akira shouted, looking wildly around the woods. He called for her again, and shot off into the trees to look for her. He searched until he came to accept that she was gone. He knew she wasn't in the wood, but he'd refused to stop looking. Finally he stopped, leaning against a tree, exhausted, emotionally spent. He drifted into a light slumber, and dreamed of the the haunting blue eyes that so often visited his dreams and caused his heart to ache.

He woke with a start, and began to reach over as if feeling for someone, until he realized it had all been a dream. He was alone. There was no one here…no blue eyes to comfort him now. The thought made the sadness and anger churning within him even worse.

The moon took to the sky, and the stars were bright and clear. He could smell smoke. He wondered if Eiji was alright. He ran. He returned to find the house on fire, Eiji standing outside it, looking drained.

"I can't live in that house anymore," he whispered. Akira said nothing to that.

"I…I couldn't find Emiko," Akira said as he watched the house burn.

Eiji closed his eyes. "Neither could I." The two watched the house burn in silence.

...

When Akira opened his eyes the following morning, he believed he'd had a nightmare for one blissful moment. Then he realized he was sleeping on the cold hard ground next to Eiji, and he noticed the charred skeleton of the farmhouse. Weary and stiff, the two newly made nomads set off down the road, and into town.

Fuck the war. Fuck this masked man Akira had heard about.

The town was in ruins. Charred ruins. There were people still bleeding and dying in the streets as all available (and short staffed) medic nin lined them up in the streets and busily treated them.

Pained moans resonated through the morning air, and people shuffled past. Some recognized Eiji, but once they noticed Kanako and the children weren't at his side, they kept a wide berth. Akira watched their breath fog out before them and rising to join the silvery morning mist that clung to the earth. The two men traveled in silence, heads bowed, not looking at the wounded, until a voice called out to Eiji. Eiji seemed both surprised and uneasy by the acknowledgement. He was being addressed by a thin, nervous looking old man.

Akira looked over curiously.

"It's Norio," the old man explained quickly. "He's gathering a group! I think he's gone off the deep end! You have to come see this! Please, talk some sense into him, Eiji, he's been looking for you."

Eiji seemed like he wanted to walk away, but he nodded solemnly, placing a firm hand on Akira's shoulder. Eiji beckoned him to follow. They walked deeper into town. In the shadows of an alley, by the very pawn shop Akira had fooled around by the other day, stood a large group of men. Some wounded, some dressed like ninja, others appearing to be ordinary villagers.

At the head of the group, a large blond man with a rough beard, and a gash gouged into his cheek caked over with dried blood, smiled at the sight of Eiji. Akira guessed he had to be Norio. Norio's smile faded when he noticed Akira.

"Who's this?" Norio growled, eyeing Akira suspiciously. Eiji clasped Akira's shoulder. Akira glared.

"This is Akira. He's a good kid, Norio. You can trust him," Eiji insisted tiredly. Norio grunted.

Norio beckoned them forward with a jut of his chin. "Fine, let's go." They were ushered into the pawn shop, where the group gathere. The shop's counters were upturned, trinkets littering the ground. It was cold.

"Now," Norio, began roughly, and all chatter died down. "We can't sit by idly anymore until the fucking Akatsuki run us all into the ground and kill our loved ones!" There was a murmur of agreement, a few curses and cries.

Norio smiled grimly, pleased by his reception. "There's been a domino effect of raids on nearby villages. Sooner or later, it was going to happen here. When I heard, I was out of town. I'd gone to visit my brother in a nearby village," he paused, as if it had suddenly become difficult for him to continue.

Norio cleared his throat. "Once I heard, I got here fast as I could with a few men I trust more than anything. We were too late, but able to drive some of the beasts off. We didn't need ninjutsu to crack some skulls. Listen up, most of you are here today because you're good men. You're on the village council, or even associated with the ninja or police force. Or maybe you're just a fucking plain good man. Either way, you're here because I want you here. I want you to listen to this."

Akira listened as Norio spoke about the Jinchuuriki (oddly, the term sounded familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out why) the Akatsuki was after, and that the vessel was the sole reason for the war.

"There's only one Jinchuuriki left," Norio cried over the men's talk and battle cries, pacing back and forth, "A young man from Konoha known as Naruto Uzumaki. It's said he's a legendary fighter, a real hero," he paused here to allow cynical laughter and a chorus of boo's. Akira frowned by Eiji's side.

Norio waved at them for silence. "But no one has seen or heard of this hero in months. We all know why! He's in hiding, running from the war. This man is the reason our children are living a nightmare, the reason why our villages are burned, why our friends and family are dying, and he won't even show his fucking face to fight. Wanna know what I say?" he growled, and was met with a crescendo of voices. Akira looked around him, looked at the faces of the men screaming for justice.

He felt lost in the sea of faces.

Norio cupped his hands around his mouth to yell over the noise. "I say, we stop hiding behind the Allied Shinobi Forces and waiting for them to care enough to send more ninja. I say we end this. Together! We might not be able to take the Jinchuuriki head-on, but if we work together, we can do this. We can end this war!"

The roar was deafening now, but someone from the back shouted out.

"What the hell are you suggesting? That we kill the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?" A man asked incredulously. Akira waited for the answer, watching Norio coolly. Norio's lips stretched into a threatening smile.

"Yes. Take out the Jinchuuriki, and Madara Uchiha has nothing left!"

A chill ran down Akira's spine.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?!" another man spluttered. "We can't take out a Jinchuuriki! That's suicide!"

An argument began, but Akira was lost in his thoughts. Eiji remained silent, watching Norio with an unreadable expression on his face. Akira kept thinking of the name the creature had hissed, and the name Norio had just said.

_Uchiha! Uchiha_! The monster had hissed.

Akira thought of the monster, pointing at him, a grin on its hideous face. Someone jostled him as they tried to come to the front of the group to yell out their opinion, infuriatingly enough. He shoved at them, but the person didn't care, or he didn't notice.

"We have fighters, we have ninja, we aren't capable of such a feat by ourselves!" The debate continued.

"We wouldn't be alone, we'd be working alongside others from different villages! We have a plan. We're taking action into our own hands now! Fuck the Kages, they haven't done shit for us. Tell me right now what the Hokage has done for the villages? For the towns and cities? Now tell me what she's done for the Hidden Leaf." There was a terrible silence, and Norio continued, "Now our homes have been destroyed, our friends and loved ones have been killed, while we wait for the Hokage to do something. So listen up, those who are interested-"

"You're doing this all because the man isn't fighting? He's a single man, not an army, Norio," Eiji said suddenly. The room quieted. Norio glared at him. Akira looked over, surprised.

"He's a man with incredible power who's choosing not to use it, when it could damn well save his country. Maybe it wouldn't, but the point is, it could. If he's going to keep it to himself and play lap dog for the Hokage, he's the whole reason for this mess. I say we do him in. End it while we can. While he lives it'll never be anything but chaos. Take what Madara needs, and he can't win the war!"

Eiji spoke up over the uproar that followed, "You really don't believe in this country's ability to take care of itself? We're not the military, Norio."

Norio pointed at him, and the gesture was almost lethal, like holding Eiji as swordpoint. "I'll tell ya one thing, cousin: if this world's ever gonna make itself right, it's gotta fight, with everything it has. We have to stop relying on the ninja and hidden villages and take matters into our own hands! We're hiding behind the ninja like frightened mice, but if they're not as strong as they claim to be, what's a mouse to do when it's faced with a cat?" Norio wanted to know. His gray eyes were as cold as ice as he said it. Judging by the dark look that eclipsed his face, Akira decided he would be wary of the man. Eiji shifted beside him.

"Eiji, where's Kanako and the children? It's surprising to see you without her talking out of your mouth for you." Norio said suddenly. A look of rage and immense sadness passed over Eiji's face. Akira frowned, fingers inching towards his sword.

"I said where's your family?" Norio demanded again. Akira shot a glance towards Eiji, who had lowered his head, silent.

"Where is your family, Eiji?" Norio shouted. The room was quiet as death as the men waited for Eiji's answer. Some had averted their gazes out of sympathy.

"That's enough, Norio…" Eiji whispered. Akira was gripping his sword handle tightly now, but no one seemed to care or notice.

Norio said, "What's being done is not enough, and now your family's dead because of it. You're telling me you'd rather sit here, and rot away in your own misery, after the Akatsuki murdered your family? You're telling me that you're going to do nothing? You don't want to avenge them? What kind of spineless-" Norio didn't get much farther, because Akira had had enough. He drew his sword, and in an instant was in front of Norio, who had angled his head back in surprise to keep from getting pricked between the eyes. Those who were armed in the room drew their weapons. Akira didn't lower his sword.

"That is enough," Akira said quietly. Norio, stunned at first by the kid's audacity, recovered quickly. He smirked, holding up his hands in defeat.

"You got guts, kid."

Akira didn't take it as a compliment.

"Try to break him, and I swear to high heaven I'll break you in half," Akira hissed. Norio raised an eyebrow, clearly amused but not threatened. Eiji fidgeted nervously, hissing at Akira to come away. Norio barked out a laugh.

"I never took you for a coward, Eiji. Now it's a boy fighting your fight? I thought we'd be together on this one." Norio's voice was strangely hushed, angry, disappointed. Akira wondered how close the two cousins were; he heard Eiji speak of Norio since he had woken up. Norio waved his hand in a dismissing gesture, pushing past Akira like nothing had happened.

"I'm done here," he growled at the group, casting a glare at Eiji. "If anyone wishes to join our cause, we're leaving at dawn. We meet at the village border, on the east side." He walked away without sparing Eiji or Akira a second glance. The group of men slowly trickled out from the lobby, leaving Akira and Eiji. Akira waited for Eiji to move.

Slowly, like an old man with stiff bones, Eiji turned to leave. Akira followed closely behind, head bowed. Eiji was eerily silent the rest of the day, his eyes open but seeing nothing.

They sat, huddled under a thin blanket, by the side of an old apartment complex, watching people pass them by. Most were packing up, leaving town, tugging their crying children behind them. Some were doing volunteer work and helping those in need. Somone was using their house like a soup kitchen, and dozens of people milled in and out for a bite. More than once, Akira saw some men from the meeting, passing them by with eyes as hard as flint.

Akira thought of Kanako, of Kaoru, of Emiko…

His heart burned for vengeance. He looked over to Eiji, who was still pale, who had still not spoken a word since that morning. Dread and anger welled in the pit of Akira's stomach like ice. Something about Eiji's eyes chilled him to the bone.

"We can fight for them, Eiji," he found himself saying. Eiji said nothing. Akira's temper bubbled over.

"Don't you want to fight? Don't you want to do anything?" His voice rose, quivering with rage. Still, Eiji said nothing. He only looked away. So they sat in silence. By evening, Eiji had curled into his blanket on the concrete. Akira couldn't get him to get up.

By night, after leaving to find them something to eat and upon his return, Akira found Eiji was gone. He stared dumbly at the abandoned blanket for a while. He wanted to scream at the injustice, at Eiji's refusal to do nothing, at Eiji's surrender.

How could anyone just sit there? His head hurt.

Akira turned abruptly, a fierce determination fueling him, leaving the blanket behind in a pathetic little pile. Grimly, he walked to the east side of the village. He didn't need to guess what happened to Eiji, and he didn't need to see, either. It would only numb him further, and he couldn't really feel much of anything anyway at this point. Anger was the only emotion that coursed through him steadily.

Akira would see him avenged, would see all the Yamagatas avenged.

Come early morning, Norio was pleasantly surprised to find Akira among the gathered men. He grinned, something that, to Akira, seemed more predatory than welcome.

"So you've come."

Akira shrugged, crossing his arms. "I can't ignore what's been done."

"What happened to Eiji?" Norio asked suddenly, glancing around. Akira looked away, nearly shaking. Norio frowned.

"You pushed him to his limit," Akira accused dangerously. Norio barked out a laugh, as if it was the most absurd of accusations.

"If he did anything to himself, it's his fault, not my own. My cousin always was weak," Norio said. Akira glowered at him. Felt like throttling him.

"Don't give me that look. Not like I can't relate. They took his wife and kids? Yeah, well, they took mine too," Norio's expression turned dangerous when he said, "My wife was pregnant with our first." A shadow eclipsed Norio's broad face, and he grimaced, eyes shining.

"I was fighting, and I had hidden her beneath the floor, we had a little crawl space. She was…far along. One of the monsters found the door and ripped it up. Pulled her up the by the hair. Mauled her right in front of me while they cornered me and watched me try to get to her." Norio was shaking now, and when he spoke, his voice was low and deadly.

"I'm going to kill as many of those sons of bitches that I can. I'm going to kill them, and I'm going to savor every moment of it. I'm not gonna do myself in like some weakling because I can't handle it. I'm going to avenge my Saiyuri, and I'm going to do it right. We'd never have had those monsters in our village if it wasn't for the little fucker we're going to track down. If it wasn't for him…Saiyuri would be alive." Norio ground out.

Akira said nothing, unsure of whether to pity Norio or despise him. The man's blame was misplaced, Akira knew, but at this point, he found he didn't really give a shit.

He fingers itched for his sword. His whole body quivered in anticipation of battle.

Akira needed a little vengeance of his own. If that called for a little blood, he would gladly spill it.


	26. Journey to Suna

_Journey to Suna_

The road to Suna was hot, bright, and dry. A never ending pale sea that could have stretched to the sun and back again. Naruto shifted under his disguise, blinking against the sweat that was beginning to sting his eyes. And to think, a few weeks ago, he had wished for warmth. Now he was so hot his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth and he could feel the heat of the sand burning the soles of his feet despite the protective layers. He was sure he was slowly being roasted alive, and he doubted he could even spit properly! It was, after all, the dry season in the desert, and the sun had browned his skin a shade darker, bleached his hair lighter.

Curious, he stole a quick look around the group he was in, and tried hacking up a loogie over the side of his camel. It watched him with a wide brown eye as he aimed for the ground.

Yep. No dice.

Nothing but sand seemed to be on his tongue. The camel trumpeted, startling Naruto as he bent over its side, (who knew camels could be so freakin' loud?) and he laughed, swiping at the sweat that had gathered on his brow. It was then, as he righted himself and shared a goofy grin with a few of his comrades, that it hit him squarely in the chest.

This was the first time he had actually laughed in weeks.

The thought soured his mood, and he slumped on his camel, patting it on the neck.

The Kazekage's caravan ambled forward at a snail's pace. It was a peace mission. The Kazekage was stopping by important cities and villages in the Wind Country. Something to do with morale and spirit. So far, the expedition had lasted a total of six weeks.

It had been six weeks since he'd left Konoha, since he'd last seen Sakura, or Kakashi or Sai, or Tsunade or Fukasaku or-

He stopped thinking, closing his eyes against the glare of the sun, fixing the head scarf on his head, wrapped so that only his eyes were visible.

He had said his goodbyes to Fukasaku and the others at Konoha's gates. For the purpose of leading the enemy on the wrong trail, the toad had traveled with Kakashi and Sakura. The little sage hadn't said much, but had promised to reconvene with the Sand once he felt he had traveled with Kakashi long enough to be convincing.

Naruto had pretended to smile at the toad. He had pretended to march forward with a purpose. He had pretended he wasn't unraveling inside with each step. It felt like so long ago, and the Sand caravan was still traveling.

Bitterly, Naruto wondered when he would hear about the false trails. When someone would finally tell him what was going on. He'd been left in the dark for too long and it was pissing him off.

But he hadn't been in the best moods lately, anyway. He scowled behind his white scarf. He tried not to think about it, tried to keep staring at the endless road ahead, but it happened anyway.

He thought about Sasuke.

_Give me your word. Promise me you'll trust me. You'll forgive me._

Naruto drew in a breath and exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. Sasuke had asked for forgiveness, long before anything had been done. Naruto had been foolish to think those words had been meant for deserting Team Seven and the Valley of the End, all those years ago. And Naruto had given his word.

Somewhere in his chest, the grief he'd tried to bury struck a chord.

Sasuke's words would flit through his mind at night when he dreamed: _Give me your word. Promise me you'll trust me. You'll forgive me._

Sometimes, Naruto wanted to hate him for it. Despise him for keeping such a secret. There were moments he wanted to despise Fukasaku and Tsunade as well. But he didn't.

He couldn't hate Sasuke.

Before he'd left, Sakura had come to visit him in his room. She'd cried and said _you were supposed to be stronger than me when it came to him_. Unbidden, the memory spilled into his thoughts.

_Waking to a white ceiling, white walls, and white linoleum made Naruto feel as though he'd suddenly landed in a new sort of purgatory. He closed his eyes for a moment against the whiteness, much preferring the black void behind his eyelids. He hadn't wanted to wake up from his dream._

_He had been with Sasuke, in the cell on Mount Myoboku, and Sasuke had looked into his eyes with a dark, penetrating gaze that set Naruto's very cells on fire._

_Naruto swallowed, shaking his head to rid himself of the picture. He wanted to scream, but instead he ate breakfast and conjured clones for the task ahead. The clothes he needed were stacked neatly on a little table by the window._

_He wanted to scream, but instead, he ordered his clones around in a tired, hollow voice. Naruto pointed to the stacks of clothing and ordered the clones to dress appropriately. They did as they were told, muttering darkly, faces solemn. Naruto began to dress in the Sand garb Gaara had left for him, and he flushed in embarrassment when he thought of the Kazekage. Gaara had only meant well last night-_

_The door opened, and Naruto's thoughts trailed, interrupted. Sakura stood in the doorway, eyes averted. Naruto frowned. She was uncharacteristically cold last night._

_Last night…_

_He gritted his teeth against the wave of pain in his heart. No, no. I can't do this now. I can't always lose it, he thought, taking a deep breath, shoving the pain down, and hiding it with a concerned look Sakura's way._

_"What's wrong?" he asked. As if he didn't know! Sakura blinked rapidly, looking down._

_She shook her head, tried to speak, but all that escaped was a gurgling laugh that was out of place. It wasn't a laugh, not really. "This could have all been avoided. You know, I was actually willing to give him up!" She swiped at her cheeks, finally meeting Naruto's eyes. Naruto frowned, surprised at her random babble. Her lip quivered._

_"I was ready to do it, you know, forget about him. Then you had to go and ruin the chance for us, didn't you?"_

_Naruto looked away from her. In that moment, he felt sorry for Sakura. She was kind-hearted and pretty enough, but she had lodged her life between two boys she could never have, and now she was stuck. Her young heart had been plucked from her chest before it could ripen and mature, ripped open while it was still green._

_She kept on talking. "When I found out everything that had happened between you and Sasuke, I was so angry. Here I am, trying my hardest for the both of you, and you fall in love with each other and leave me in the dust. Then, Sasuke just used you like that, and you let him…you let him. You're supposed to be stronger than I am when it comes to him. You aren't supposed to leave! But now you are, because of him. We couldn't let him go, no matter what was said or what he did to us. He brought us together, and then, he tore us apart." She shook her head again, her hands balling into fists at her side._

_She was heartbroken, Naruto realized. She was alone; she had been alone the past three months. She was no longer tied in with Naruto's fate, or Sasuke's, and she was going to lose both. She was angry with Sasuke for all he had done and for leaving her alone. She was angry with Naruto for letting it happen and leaving her alone again._

_Yet she still cared, yet she loved them both with such a girlish and innocent heart, and they had only deserted her in the end for each other. Well, Naruto hadn't wanted to leave her behind, he hadn't wanted her to feel this way, but he was certain that was how she was viewing his leaving, even if it wasn't entirely true._

_He looked at his hands. She might as well be mourning the death of both of them. He and Sakura had been close enough the last year, but now it was coming to an end. She would have to say goodbye to Naruto. She wouldn't be able to follow him now, given the child and the mission. The child that wasn't connected to her in any way; this child that was the manifestation of a love she would never possess, a child that belonged to the two she had come to love the most._

_It must be hard for her, he thought. She would have to say goodbye. She was needed in Konoha, and there was no telling when he'd see her again. Months, probably, or years. Maybe even never again, if something went wrong._

_He'd failed her, and Sasuke had failed her. Sasuke failing her had been one thing, but Naruto? That was a different matter. Naruto was leaving her. They wouldn't be able to protect each other, laugh with each other, feel soothed by the other's presence. She needed him, he realized, and he was sorry he couldn't offer her what she needed right now._

_He was sorry he wasn't the the young man she wanted. He was sorry he wasn't the man who could kiss away her tears and hold her until she felt better._

_Naruto wasn't the only one who needed to grow up._

_He walked over to her, and quietly wrapped his arms around her. It was all he could do. She didn't pull away, she merely melted into his hold and cried, her hands against his chest, ragged fingernails catching on his shirt as she clung to him desperately._

_"I wanted to go with you, but Tsunade told me it was imperative to the mission that I didn't go. It would be obvious. When you get to where you should be, only Tsunade will know exactly where you are. I won't know where you are, or how you're doing…" She trailed, voice breaking, muffled by his shirt. Naruto shushed her and pulled her closer. She shuddered._

_"I know what he did, and I want to hate him for it! But, even so...I wish…I wish I could have seen him one last time!" She wailed, gripping onto Naruto harder. She was finally mourning Sasuke._

_Naruto froze, his arms around her tightly. He thought, I wish I could have seen him too He clenched his jaw, trying not to stagger under the weight of that thought. The last time Naruto had seen Sasuke, he'd shouted at him, cursed him, ran from him. His chest tightened, and there was a pang in his heart. His vision blurred, his head throbbing with his body's efforts to hold back the cries and not releasing the tension._

_You're supposed to be stronger than me when it comes to him, Sakura had said. He rubbed her back in soothing circles. For now, he would be. For now, he would be the man she needed._

_He closed his eyes, riding out Sakura's wails like the wall of strength he was supposed to be._

_He wanted to scream, but all he did was stand there, rubbing circles into the back of the crying girl he once thought he would win over, shushing her in a soothing voice that belied his tortured and broken heart._

_He wanted to scream._

Naruto broke free from his thoughts, absently shaking his head until the urge to cry, to rage, faded away.

No. He couldn't do this.

Not now.

The caravan stopped at twilight in the dunes, and Gaara requested Naruto's audience. Naruto left the small circle of companions he had recently made, eyes locked on the red tent ahead that housed Gaara for the night.

Guards stood around it, their faces masked from the nose down with head scarves. The guards stood aside easily for him, and Naruto lifted the flap to the tent, striding inside. He found Gaara seated on a plush cushion. The Kazekage looked up at him, nodded, and gestured towards the pillow opposite him.

Naruto sighed. He'd known this was coming.

In the tent with Gaara was a Leaf medic nin known as Maiko. She had been trained by Tsunade especially for this mission. Gaara had allowed Tsunade to appoint a medic nin from the Leaf to accompany them to Suna. Maiko was a slight, lithe woman with sandy hair and very large hazel eyes. Next to her was a Sand medic nin. He was a very serious fellow with dark skin, shrewd eyes, and a hooked nose that gave him the odd resemblance of an old, pissy parrot. Naruto always snickered at the medic behind his back.

"Please, if you would lie down, sir." The Sand medic directed to a pillow in a solemn tone. Gaara watched intently, arms crossed, eyes always locked on the nimble fingers of the medics as they examined Naruto.

Gaara was always present for any exam. While Naruto had assured the Kazekage that he didn't need to be present, Naruto was both a little grateful for the company and a little unsure of it. Sometimes he'd rather ride it out alone, instead of having Gaara watch everything. And the silence made it more difficult to bear. The medics were often so quiet it made Naruto squirm in discomfort and embarrassment.

The Sand medic checked the unborn infant's vitals with a portable Doppler, and its chakra balance with a glowing green hand.

"No change, very good," he murmured, "Stable heartbeat of 142 BPM." He scooted over to make room for the Leaf medic. She placed a glowing hand above Naruto's seal, brows furrowed. Her purpose was to check on the Fourth's seal, checking the chakra balance and ensuring that the Kyuubi's chakra never disrupted the natural balance of what was normal for Naruto's body.

Every exam, she looked for a leak. Every exam, Naruto held his breath. She was supposed to be able to deal with the seal during the birth while the Sand medic was supposed to aid in the delivery. So, Naruto guessed he was stuck with these two. A long moment passed, and Naruto waited. He counted his heart beats to keep himself from worrying. Finally, Maiko pulled away with a curt nod.

"No change, the seal has not weakened further," she reported. Naruto exhaled in relief. Gaara nodded as he listened, his face impassive.

"Leave us," he finally ordered. The medics stood, bowed, and exited. Naruto sat upright, yanking down his shirt and smoothing it over. Still, at twenty-six weeks, the pregnancy was well-hidden, even under simple garments. The medics, having been closely monitoring the child's growth, had assured that this was normal and not a cause for concern. Maiko had also theorized that the child might be born smaller and not reach more than six pounds.

Old Beak Nose (Naruto's secret nickname for the Sand medic) had scoffed at this and declared that Maiko obviously wasn't well versed in Obstetrics or Pediatrics, or she'd know that smaller size and lack of growth during gestation was cause for _serious_ concern.

Maiko had told Beak Nose to go grab a drink and pull the medical encyclopedia out of his ass for once.

Naruto had snorted loudy and ever since, Old Beak Nose had been kind of snobby. A frown on the Sand medic made him appear as if he was glaring down his nose at everyone like like some sort of pompous lord. Or, in Beaky's case, a parrot.

"Naruto," the Kazekage said suddenly, tearing Naruto away from his thoughts, "I have news." Naruto sat straighter, waiting with bated breath.

He studied the Kazekage's serious face, jade eyes glittering in the dark tent, arms still crossed. It was impossible to tell what Gaara may be thinking; if the news was good or bad. Naruto waited. Gaara's finally spoke.

"There are rumors," he began in a hushed voice. "Rumors that a new resistance is taking root. Sources say this group may have already reached Wind Country." Naruto nodded, having heard bits of it.

"I cannot risk your safety further," Gaara said abruptly. Naruto raised a brow, wondering what this could mean for the caravan and the mission.

"No one knows who I am," Naruto reminded him, "Only the medics, you, Kankuro, and Temari-"

"We are being followed."

That shut Naruto up. In truth, he had suspected it,had known it was bound to happen sooner or later, but he kept the thought to himself. From Gaara's expression, it was clear he was worried about this new resistance.

"How are the other groups?" Naruto asked softly. Gaara looked away. Naruto had been needling for this information for weeks now. The Kazekage decided to indulge him.

"There are only three left, currently. The team from the Sand was discovered. The clone was destroyed. The Akatsuki are now aware there are multiple trails."

Naruto cursed under his breath. He thought for a moment.

"There's a town coming up, isn't there?" Naruto asked. Gaara looked up at him, and the two nodded in silent, mutual agreement.

"Yes. Saka. There are a lot of refugees there currently."

If a resistance group had reached Wind Country, what better way to scope for information than hit up the a booming town's local scene?

For the first time in a long while, Naruto occupied his mind with other thoughts.

* * *

><p>The cloak was hot and uncomfortable. It was scratching against Shikamaru's skin enough to test his sanity. Shikamaru inwardly groaned. How troublesome. However, he had volunteered, along with Ino, to venture into town. The Sand caravan had stopped at town called Saka anyway.<p>

As they approached the town, he reflect upon his, and his comrades', recent promotion.

_Tsunade had called them to the Tower for an important meeting, and the seriousness of the summons was weighing heavily on the young nins' minds. Sai, Kiba, Chouji, Neji, Ino, TenTen, Hinata, and Shino were all present. The village had been unsettled ever since the murder of the Elders the previous day. Rumors circulated around the citizens and lower ranked ninja of terrorists in the village. It hadn't been revealed to the public or any nin Tsunade didn't trust that Sasuke Uchiha had been the culprit and had been in the village. Shikamaru had an an idea of what was coming, but he kept his mouth shut, eyes drifting between the others. Ino was white and looked ready to vomit. No doubt, she believed they were about to sent to war, dispatched to some far off location crawling with Akatsuki._

_He didn't have the heart, or strength, to tell her what would happen would likely be more dangerous than traveling to a war zone._

_Tsunade entered the room, and the chatter Kiba had started up with Chouji hushed instantly. They all stood to attention, and Shikamaru didn't let his gaze waver. The change was instant; they all transformed from wary, nervous onlookers to silent, deadly ninja, ready to attack or protect at an instant's notice._

_The Hokage appraised them all grimly, but Shikamaru noticed the proud glint in her eye._

_"I have a mission for you," she began, taking a seat. "Some of you are not aware that Naruto was returned to the village yesterday."_

_It was news to everyone but Shikamaru. Sakura had also been told, but she wasn't among them, having been assigned to leave with Kakashi rather suddenly._

_"With him," Tsunade continued, "Was Sasuke Uchiha." The silence grew tense._

_"Last night, he sought out his revenge and unleashed it upon the Elders," she disclosed. "He is believed dead, but for exceptional ninja, there are always exceptions. Especially if their body was never found." She paused to let the news sink in._

_"Naruto will be traveling with the Kazekage under the guise of a Sand nin during Gaara's peace mission through Wind Country. We've planted false trails, and different Naruto clones have been dispatched with three other teams. However, your job will remain with the living Naruto," she studied them again. "Trail the Sand. Collect any intel on the whereabouts of the Akatsuki. Should the caravan be attacked, I won't risk us not being there to provide back-up. Naruto must not be lost. Gaara is aware I will eventually send nin to check up, but he isn't aware of our shadowing."_

_Shikamaru realized she conveniently left out the part about the demon child._

_"Be on your best guard, we don't want to offend the Kazekage. If Sasuke shows up...you know what to do. I have lost a lot of good men and women in the past year. Nin I would have gladly sent in your stead. But now it's your time to prove your worth. Congratulations. I'm promoting you all to Jounin status. Normally there is a test, but there are no Elders, and I'm confident in my decision. Do our village, and our country, proud"_

_The group was stunned._

_"Now split into two groups. Shikamaru team leader one. Team One will shadow the Sand. Neji, team leader two. Team Two will trail behind and focus on intel. You can break up however you decide. Stagger. Now get!"_

_With respectful bows, the group split instantly and left the room. Only Shikamaru hesitated, but a look from Tsunade got him moving and out the door._

Saka's gate came into view, and beside him, Ino looked back. Shikamaru knew she was thinking of their teammates.

Chouji, along with Kiba, would be closely watching the town borders, prepared to take off and give a signal should the Sand suddenly decide to leave. So far, they're trailing had been uneventful.

It was Neji's team who were keeping an eye out for Sasuke Uchiha, and investigating claims and sightings. The countries were riddled with whispers and rumors, which ate away at the populace like an infection. People were frightened and angry. Some, Shikamaru had come to find out, were even blaming Naruto.

It made him uneasy.

Disturbing rumors of a resistance amongst the civilians against both the Akatsuki and the hidden villages were spoken in hushed whispers that curled around the ears of eavesdroppers, begging to be passed on to the wrong listeners.

Supposedly, the group had first toured through the Fire Country and into Wind, preaching their views in an attempt to gain recruits for their cause. So it was said, anyway.

Shikamaru and Ino gained entrance into the town after the police cleared them. The street led right into a busy section of downtown. Shikamaru paused, hearing a sudden crescendo of raised voices up ahead. He squinted. The light from the sun was white and blinding, not a cloud in the vast blue ocean of a sky to shield or dampen it, and the flat barren landscape offered no relief.

Then he noticed them. There was a group of townspeople crowded around a speaker standing atop a makeshift platform that had been hastily put together. The citizens were pumping their fists into the air, cupping hands around their mouths to carry their aggravated voices.

One held up a stuffed doll clad in black rags painted with red clouds. It had a disturbing likeness to Sasuke Uchiha, if the black hair was anything to go by.

"Peace! Peace! Peace!" The group of people chanted. Shikamaru's coffee brown eyes swiveled over to meet Ino's aquamarine gaze. She frowned, shrugging, and they stepped closer. The speaker, a heavy set blond man with cold gray eyes assessed the crowd before him.

"Who are we to sit idly by and wait for the inevitable? We must not forget our own strength! We may only be mere men, but we cannot continue to cower behind the ninja! We must take a stand. We might not have the same uncanny skill. Or if we do, it is not nearly as great, but we have heart, we have strength, we have hope." His speech made the people roar. The blond man looked satisfied. The stuffed doll was lit on fire.

Shikamaru noticed how Ino stiffened beside him at the display.

"They will not have our homes! They will not take our children, rape our wives, murder our brothers. The Akatsuki will feel the wrath of the world they have disturbed!" the speaker bellowed out this promise, voice husky and laced with murderous intent. By then, the town's ninja were arriving, attempting to break up the crowd.

The people roared in protest, and to Shikamaru's profound disbelief, they actually attempted to swarm the police; clawing, hitting, and spitting at those who tried to push them back. A police nin went for the blond man, who watched the spectacle as if amused.

A rock soared through the crowd, smashing into the police nin's skull before he could rush up the platform. Pandemonium broke loose. The blond man disappeared in a puff of smoke, turning out to be little more than a log; a mere clone had addressed the crowd. The people continued to fight against the police nin.

"PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!" they screamed.

"Shikamaru…" Ino breathed.

Without a word, the Leaf nin accessed his chakra, closed his eyes and sent tendrils of shadow racing towards the crowd like dozens of black snakes. They slithered into the ranting, rioting crowd, sneaking up ankles and paralyzing their victims. It didn't take long before people were running, realizing something was happening, while others remained frozen, incapacitated.

"I think we cand handle our own people," a gruff voice boomed. Shikamaru didn't break his concentration on his ninjutsu. He glanced quickly at the owner of the voice. A large burly man, arms crossed over his chest, face twisted in an intimidating grimace.

Normally, Shikamaru wouldn't be too concerned about pissing off police or lower ranking ninja of another village, but the town was obviously in crisis, and Shikamaru had no idea if the nin before him had any important connections. It might be too easy to accidentally tread on important toes, and accidentally put the Leaf in an unnecessary situation. He released his ninjutsu.

The people scattered like cockroaches startled by sunlight, though some flipped the nin the bird and others shouted obscenities as they darted away.

"It seemed to me the best course of action." Shikamaru replied as he stood and straightened. The police nin before him harrumphed.

"My team could have taken care of it easily. I'm Chief of Police in this area. I know how to handle my own people, and I'll be damned if I allow some outsider nin to harass my town."

Important toes, indeed, Shikamaru thought. He frowned.

"Harass? Your people were in the middle of a riot. They were harassing their own," Shikamaru said through clenched teeth. He kept his temper in check, careful not to snap.

"Since when is a helpful gesture from helpful nin considered an offense?" Ino wanted to know. The Chief fixed his eyes on her, assessing her in a way that bordered on obscene. Ino flushed uncomfortably and moved closer to Shikamaru, who took a protective step before her.

"These are hard times. Can't be too careful about who you trust, am I right? It's not unusual to feel threatened by unknown nin in your territory, especially given that the Akatsuki are on the move," the Chief replied. Shikamaru nodded curtly at this.

"Now, what business do you have in Saka?" The Chief demanded.

"Provisions. We'll be on our way shortly after we visit the markets,." Shikamaru assured him. The Chief nodded.

"Fine, get your things, but know you're being watched. I want you out by twilight. I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know, but abilities like that usually aren't associated with people who are nothing in this country. Saka has avoided raids thus far. I won't risk one by allowing people who might jeopardize that stay in the town, even for a night."

_He's afraid we have the wrong connections_. Shikamaru sighed, nodding.

With a final and intimidating glance, the Chief and his team disappeared. Ino 's fingers brushed against Shikamaru's sleeve, resting and curling in the crook of his arm.

"It's a little worse than I imagined, but I'm not altogether surprised," Shikamaru confided. Ino nodded.

"If everyone is so divided, how are we supposed to survive this war? We'll be fighting each other-"

"War is a double-edged sword. You fight to protect the people, but when those people lose hope, you're the first one they turn on," Shikamaru observed. There was pause.

"Do we send out a summons?" Ino whispered. Shikamaru's gaze slid over to her, and Ino fidgeted, as if she'd just asked a stupid question and was embarrassed.

"Yes," he drawled. Ino nodded.

"Let's get what we need and head back to Chouji and Kiba. Send word to Neji's team as well. I think Lady Tsunade-no, the Fire Lord- should look into this matter. A resistance group amongst our own ranks is the last thing we need. The leader needs to be taken out and dealt with accordingly. Who knows what he may resort to…Especially if views us as the enemy."

They walked to the market place to buy their provisions, noticing hateful glances thrown their way, and hurried out of Saka.

* * *

><p>"The Leaf are in Saka!"<p>

A Sand nin burst into the Kazekage's tent. Gaara had been sharing a light dinner with Naruto, and his eyes widened. Naruto visibly tensed, still disguised as one of Gaara's guards. Gaara's jade orbs darkened. Of course, he had already suspected this, but it wasn't the Leaf they had been expecting. It wasn't surprising to him. He nodded once, face seemingly impassive.

"Lord Kazekage, what are your orders-?" the nin tried to ask, but he was interrupted.

"GAARA!" Kankuro burst into the tent, looking enraged, painted face twisted with disgust. Respectfully, the nin who had been asking for orders bent his head towards his superior in a rushed, silent greeting and grew quiet. Gaara's lip curled slightly at his brother's obvious wrathful display.

"You've heard," Gaara said quietly. Kankuro's coal black eyes gleamed dangerously.

"I was there!" he spat. He was visibly shaking. Naruto's eyes narrowed, feeling his body tense defensively on instinct, as if preparing for a fight.

"The Hokage completely and openly disrespects our agreement by trailing us-!"

Gaara cut him off. "Kankuro, this wasn't altogether unexpected. Naruto is, of course, Lady Tsunade's preferred successor-" Gaara said, as if the news was as bland as a weather update. The vein in Kankuro's forehead throbbed and he cut his brother off before he could listen to any further words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you didn't give a fuck about any direct threat the Leaf could pose to us," Kankuro snapped. It was the wrong thing to say, and Kankuro had just abused his familial ties to speak his Kage in a disrespectful manner.

Gaara frowned. Beside him, Naruto's fists clenched, but otherwise he was perfectly still.

"They are our allies, Kankuro, not an open threat," Gaara reasoned.

"Gaara, think like the leader you're supposed to be," Kankuro urged. Gaara's expression harded, his frown freezing on his face. Naruto kept his fists clenched, listening closely.

"What are you implying?" Gaara asked finally, hiding the venom that laced his tone with some difficulty. Seeming pleased that he had broken through his younger brother's seemingly apathetic attitude towards the matter, Kankuro took a calming breath.

"By trailing us, they could give the enemy a clue to who we are. If Madara should notice this-"

"We will be prepared." Gaara said tersely. Kankuro's eyes widened, but before he could speak, Gaara moved quickly, standing nearly nose to nose. Kankuro took a surprised step back.

"Don't ever insinuate that I do not take my position seriously. You think I haven't thought of the same thing? By trailing us, even if they are trying to be inconspicuous, they are painting a bullseye on our caravan should the enemy catch them and learn of their purpose. Is this occurrence likely? Not really, but it could happen. I know of the risk it poses." Gaara hissed. "But I assure you, we will solve this problem."

Kankuro swallowed visibly. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Gaara silenced him with a look, becoming angrier by the second. Kankuro did not realize Naruto was standing in the same room. He hadn't bothered the supposed guard with so much as a glance. Gaara couldn't risk such talk. Not when Naruto was close and listening, and Naruto noticed this.

"I will deal with this matter accordingly. You are dismissed, Kankuro," Gaara said shortly, and just like that, it was as if the the word 'brother' meant little in that tent. With a final glare, Kankuro ripped past the tent flaps angrily, not sparing a backwards glance.

The Sand nin from earlier cleared his throat. "Orders, my Lord?" he asked. Gaara eyed him for a moment.

"Yes, what would you have us do, my Lord?" Naruto's voice slithered out from behind his mask, bordering on a slightly defensive growl. Gaara looked over at him.

"Lady Tsunade has not honored our agreement. Send a summons to her immediately," Gaara ordered, all the while his green eyes never leaving Naruto's stoic form. With a jerky bob of his head, the Sand nin left the tent.

"Is that really all you're going to do?" Naruto asked, once the tent consisted of only the two of them. Gaara hesitated, thinking, He is smarter than he lets on. He knows the inner workings of such politics. He's suspicious of me.

"What are you afraid I'm going to do?" Gaara asked quietly. Naruto thought for a moment.

"They mean you no harm-" he began to say, and Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow.

"You think I would hurt my allies?" he deadpanned, interrupting his friend. Naruto fell silent.

"I suppose it wouldn't be a far off guess," Gaara said, and at the sharp, angry look he received he continued, "If I was any other Kage. But I am not. I take my alliance with your village too seriously."

"Then what are you going to do? Those are my comrades out there, Gaara. Let me speak to them, diffuse the tension-" Naruto was forgetting his place. Again. Thinking like a ninja still in action.

But no matter how old he grew, that part of Naruto would never die.

Your connections to them are exactly why you aren't going to be a part of this, Gaara thought.

"You are dismissed," The Kazekage said suddenly. Naruto stared at him a moment, surprised, then muttered a curse and left the tent. Gaara watched him go. He felt tired and weighed down, and took a seat, rubbing a hand across his forehead in aggravation.

He will never love you. The demon inside Naruto had whispered. Gaara frowned. He never acted upon buried attractions. True, he had held on to Naruto a little desperately the night Sasuke supposedly died (Supposedly. Gaara still felt inclined to believe the whole thing could be a ruse. Although, given that six, soon to be seven, weeks had passed with no sightings and no leads, Gaara was beginning to lose faith in that assumption) but he had done nothing otherwise to convey such affection. In fact, ever since his anger had gotten the best of him (he had, after all, called his friend naïve and shown slight satisfaction in the death of Naruto's lover and long lost best friend) the friendship he shared and treasured had become a little strained.

The demon had seen into his soul, into his heart. It had noticed the black spot of jealousy that marred Gaara's newfound heart. It was the one part of himself that Gaara may have still considered monstrous in its own way. Gaara prided himself in being a new person. Someone redefined. A new person he could believe in.

He had traveled a long, painful, and difficult road to finally stand where he was now, and he wouldn't give it up for the world. However, even new improved persons can still hide an unsightly blight underneath their carefully constructed exteriors; something dark or selfish that in the end, only makes them that much more human.

It was pitiful, really…his affections.

Once, Gaara would have loved to see Naruto happy, even if meant knowing that Uchiha had captured the his golden heart. But when Gaara had seen Sasuke firsthand at the Kage summit, he'd seen an evil darkness and felt Susano'o's chill. It was then he had decided he didn't much care if Naruto loved Uchiha.

Sasuke wasn't a person worth saving. He was a person worth destroying.

Gaara wasn't one to believe in childish fantasies, or romances that seemed impossible but in the end miraculously worked out, leaving a happy couple and a happy ending.

Please.

This was the real world, and Sasuke was a murderer. Sasuke was cruel. Sasuke was selfish. Sasuke would never deserve the love and effort Naruto so easily gave and put in for his cause.

Sasuke didn't deserve Naruto. Now that Sasuke was dead, it didn't really matter who deserved who and who didn't. Naruto was alone, vulnerable at this point in his life, and it was all thanks to that damned Uchiha. Gaara's thin lips pressed together grimly, and his brow furrowed. He stepped out in the dying light of the desert, and looked to his left, where Naruto was joking with a few Sand nin.

A funny thing happened then. Almost imperceptibly, as the redheaded Kage watched the silly antics of his friend and noticed the obvious glee and rapture of his audience (Naruto had become quite popular among some of the Sand nin), Gaara smiled.

Said blue-eyed nin suddenly looked over and met his gaze. Gaara's held his breath. Naruto's blue eyes seemed dark, omnious, in the half-light, as if he was skeptical about the bond he and Gaara were supposed to share. Gaara's blood froze at the thought of Naruto despising him in some way or another, but then…

Naruto's blue eyes glimmered with their usual mirth, the skin around the eyes crinkling in that charming way whenever the blond truly smiled. Even though his head scarf was in place, Gaara could almost see it. Gaara allowed his own smile to stretch a little further, to become more noticeable. From his peripheral vision, Gaara noticed his sister, Temari, approach warily. She'd been watching.

"Kankuro told me what happened," she said. Gaara nodded, looking out the dunes.

"Yes, it's a bit of a problem," he murmured, eyes still locked on Naruto. Temari's moss green eyes followed the direction of her brother's gaze, and frowned upon discovering the object of his curiosity.

"What should we do?" she pressed.

"You know what to do. I believe I briefed you on what to do should this occur. I want no blood spilled. Do this cleanly. I trust you will be able to handle this with the utmost effeiciency and grace. I have already sent word to the Hokage."

"Of course. Gaara…" Temari began, her voice trailing. Gaara looked to his sister, noticing her silence.

"Don't worry, Temari. I can handle this," he enforced in a calm voice.

"Can you handle him?" Temari surprised him by saying, jerking her head in Naruto's direction. Gaara frowned.

"Temari, I assure you, we have the seal under control-" he began, misunderstanding.

"That is not what I meant," Temari interrupted. Gaara blinked. Then he understood. He felt uncomfortable suddenly.

"I can handle whatever is thrown at me…and my personal affections are honestly none of your business," he surprised himself by saying. Temari shook her head. She looked worn.

"Don't even think about it. Naruto doesn't need a hero, Gaara. And you do not need to involve yourself further into this mess by going off and playing house," Temari hissed. Gaara was momentarily speechless, but he quickly recovered.

"_Excuse_ me-?"

"Don't think I don't know you. You might have been a horror to behold once, Gaara, but beneath it all, you were still my little brother. A little boy who wanted to be loved. You're vulnerable when it comes to this. I'm sure it's probably one thing you want most in when it coms to your personal life, and don't we all? Just...don't go looking for it in the wrong places. You want a partner and a child? Fine, but don't look to Naruto for it. Not now. Not in this mess. You have your village to look over and he…well, he has his own problems."

"I never said I was acting upon anything," Gaara replied in a cold voice. Temari regarded him thoughtfully. Without another word, she bobbed her head and left, leaving Gaara secretly fuming. He remained the picture of composure, however. A figure sidled up next to him not long after.

Gaara's heart picked up the pace.

"Gaara," Naruto breathed. Gaara relaxed.

"I'm going to trust you on this," Naruto said finally. Gaara nodded.

"I hope you will continue to," hemurmured. Naruto wandered off then, playing his part. Gaara watched him. For a moment, he questioned his morals.

Was it dark of him to find pleasure in the fact that Sasuke was gone? Was it morbid? What if this person had made himself a self-proclaimed murderous super villain who made the person you had the closest bond with (that wasn't bound by blood) fall hopelessly and stupidly in love with them?

If it was dark of him, then Gaara accepted it. Hell, he was fine with being dark for just that one thing. Sasuke had never _deserved_ Naruto.

Naruto deserved someone better.

Gaara _was_ better.

* * *

><p>AN: Almost to the point where I start posting new chapters! To those who missed it, I screwed up this story order when I was editing it a few days ago. I had to go back to AFF to find this again. I ended up breaking the chapters up more. It was easier to replace that way, and I felt it would make reading the chapters easier.

You should see a brand spankin' new chapter on Monday, when this is all caught up. The story's last chapters are written, and will conclude completely. I will begin on Monday, hopefully. Not sure if I'm going to do six weekly updates to the end, or have it a couple days in between...? I'm not posting all final chapters at once though xD


	27. Delusions

_Delusions_

At night, the desert transformed from a mercilessly dry, hot hell to a shiver-inducing cold wasteland. Naruto watched Temari and a small team leave the caravan under the cloak of night. He silently fumed. He should be in that group. Sighing, he looked up at the night sky. Stars littered the inky black sea, so numerous in number they looked like glitter. It was truly a beautiful night.

It happened then. It was inevitable of course, especially since he'd thought about it earlier, but it still cut him deeply every time.

Shit.

The pain, sweet and sharp, making his heart ache. Something was missing. Someone was missing. A certain, dark-haired, irritable Uchiha was absent. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek to keep the tears from falling. He quickly blinked them away, recalling memories. Things friends had said. As if Sasuke's death was somehow advantageous to Naruto's development as a person.

Right. Because that made so much sense, and wasn't cruel at all.

_You need to grow up._

_You're naïve, Naruto. Now you'll know better._

_He used you, don't you get it?_

Oh yeah. Naruto _got it_ alright. Just rub it in deeper, cut him closer to the bone, while you're at it. Make it even more obvious, more painful. Naruto knew. He didn't want to believe it, but he fucking _knew_, thanks.

"Damn it," he cursed quietly. He removed his head scarf to run a weary hand over his face. The sadness then gave way to anger. White-hot, blood-curdling rage that made him want to punch something hard. He took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists in tune with his exhales.

What had been the point of loving Sasuke? What was the point of pining after him now?

What was the point?

But gods…Gods damn it all, Naruto missed the bastard more than he had missed anyone in his whole fucking life. Losing Jiraiya sensei had terrible. Painful. The first little while, it was like losing a father he'd actually known. And Naruto still missed him. Still imagined what his sensei would say or do when situations reminded him of Jiraiya, and it always left him with bittersweet memories. Losing Sasuke? He just felt dead inside sometimes.

The baby kicked him hard in the bladder, reminding him that he was still _very_ much alive contrary to his beliefs, and Naruto winced at the odd sensation of being kicked at and feeling like he was going to wet his pants from it. Being kicked in the bladder? Yeah, it wasn't fun.

Little bugger was getting bigger, and its kicks had more strength.

That's Sasuke's spawn for you, kicking where it hurts-or at least, where it's most uncomfortable. The life inside him was growing, it was coming, and Naruto was going to be alone for it.

He'd always been prepared (somewhat) for this. But he'd never imagined Sasuke wouldn't be alive for it. He frowned, suddenly thinking of words from a nightmare.

_Will you allow others to die for the one curled in the pit of your belly?_

Sometimes, only sometimes, Naruto had to wonder if he was doing the right thing. This child was more than a powerful human weapon; it was just the right precursor needed for civil war to brew amongst the Shinobi Alliances. This child was more or less a political statement. A mine's bigger than yours type of threat with the hidden villages. He might as well be smuggling a weapon of mass destruction inside of him.

Well, that was how they all looked at it, didn't they? This child was bigger than any Jinchuuriki the hidden villages could have ever made, and the general purpose of a Jinchuuriki had been for war. That had been how Sasuke had viewed the baby. A weapon that needed to be destroyed before it could be stolen and activated.

_Promise me. You'll forgive me._

Naruto's gut twisted at the mere thought of him

Sasuke…Sasuke….Sasuke…his mind chanted.

He took a breath, thinking, maybe Gaara was right…I was naïve, and what happened could have been avoided if I had done something. Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head at the memory.

_Grow up_.

Naruto thought he had grown up. He had fought, he had seen death, he had known the bitter burn of hatred; he knew how to be the better man in ways some men still hadn't figured out, even with their age. In those ways, Naruto was a man. He was hardened by the hardship and complicated life he had led, by the duty he served to his country, but in the ways of love…

Well.

He was clueless. He was passionate almost to a fault. A fatal flaw, if you will. He couldn't afford to lose the love he had so carefully cultivated and nourished. Sasuke had become a part of who he was. In that way, Naruto did need to grow up.

Gone were the days of childhood before the Academy, where crushes were simple and consisted of cooties and dandelions and check-yes-or-no love letters. Gone were the days of his and Sasuke's innocent friendship. He may be in love, but love doesn't excuse the reality of a situation. Naruto could love, and love someone damned good, and still be knowledgeable. He could still protect what he thought was right, and he should have, even if meant having to stop the person he loved. He should have known.

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Regrets don't change the past. Wallowing in his own mistakes would do nothing but make him feel worse, and more than a little more useless. Sighing deeply, he stood up. Briefly, he thought of Sakura, and her tears.

_You're supposed to be stronger than I am when it comes to him, _she'd said.

Naruto retreated into himself a little, shaking his head.

"I thought I could be," he whispered, to no one but the wind that raked cold fingers across the barren land and sand dunes. He stared ahead at the tents that awaited him. A mad impulse coursed through him, and he acted upon it before he decided against it. He was being reckless, but he didn't give a damn. He sprouted a clone, gave it orders, and disappeared into his tent faster than a shadow flitting across the ground.

Hooded and dressed normally, Naruto exited the backside of his tent, glancing at his clone, which had engaged some nin with some (lame) jokes. He moved quickly, and before long, he was alone in the desert.

He walked the five miles to Saka. It was an uneventful and boring walk, and it only made the emotional pain within him that much more sharper and acute. He kicked up clouds of sand, finally seeing the town up ahead, and felt relieved.

It didn't take much to get into the town. He was let in easily enough. The police ninja at the gate was tired and bored. He gave Naruto directions to a pub called Dunes in town that he particularly liked.

"If you gotta blow off some steam, there's a good place to do it. Good ale, curvy women, amiable atmosphere, and good ramen."

Naruto perked up instantly at the thought of ramen, seeing as how alcohol could do nothing for him in the state he was in and he hadn't tasted the noodles in weeks. He thanked the nin and wandered into town.

Dunes was a pleasant enough place. Naruto swung open the double doors and was surprised to find the place packed generously, the hum of voices making Naruto feel more comfortable, less noticed. He walked up to the table, and fished money out of his pocket after asking for a bowl of pork ramen.

In a matter of minutes, he was slurping up the salty noodles, and practically swooning over the bowl of comfort food. Nothing like a good bowl of ramen to temporarily dull the pain of a lonely heart! A peal of laughter sounded from his left, and Naruto kept his head bowed, his hood on, as he listened idly to the chit-chat.

"…Shoulda seen the Chief's face!" a man guffawed. Another chuckled deep in his throat, his deep voice carrying over the genial hum of the pub.

"We done good, Huang. We done good. Soon enough, we'll have enough followers to stay out of the shadows. Akira's already recruited a group from the little village adjacent to this."

"Ah yes, Akira. Where's that mopey little fucker, anyway?" The first man growled.

"Still bitter about him, are you?"

"Prick broke my little girl's heart, Norio. Yeah, I'm bitter. I'm a father with a vengeance. When I see that kid I'm gonna drop kick him in the balls-!"

"Easy, Huang, easy." The man called Norio said with a laugh. Naruto was listening intently by now. The manner of the talk suggested that the men were possibly tied in to the resistance group that was rumored to be forming. Naruto slurped his noodles.

So the group was recruiting here in Saka. Naruto may have just stumbled across the leaders (or more recruiters at the very least) and soon, he didn't doubt, the recruiter Akira would walk through the doors, and Naruto was going to get a good look. He would have to report this to Gaara.

Although admitting that he had sneaked off probably wouldn't earn him any brownie points with the Kazekage. Still, he grinned in anticipation, rolling his shoulders. Finally, something to get his mind off his troubles and woes. He hadn't felt like a ninja in months. He slurped up more noodles. Naruto listened intently, feeling his senses sharpen as he heard the unmistakable sound of the doors opening. He hunched over a little more, practically wriggling in his seat, a smirk tugging at his lips.

_Gotcha_! he thought.

"There's the little fucker now!" Naruto heard Huang say quietly. Akira was directly behind him. Naruto grew still, sensing the looming warmth of the body as it moved to the side of him. He ate some more, looking inconspicuous, but noting the shadow that fell over him.

"What'll it be?" the bartender droned. Naruto watched a hand slap coins down on the table. Still, he didn't look up from his bowl or at the face. Only the hand, with its long fingers, ragged, bitten down nails with a bit of sand stuck underneath.

"A beer," a man's voice drawled, and suddenly every nerve in Naruto's body was on edge. Naruto's heart picked up pace, slamming in his chest. For a moment, for one insane moment, he almost leaped from his seat, expecting to see Sasuke alive and waiting for him. He swallowed his noodles too hard and coughed on them, banging on his chest.

He resisted the urge to whirl around and grab the person behind him by their cloak. The bartender placed a mug of beer on the table, and the body wandered away. Naruto stared into the bowl, his heart racing so quickly he felt sick.

Maybe this had been a bad idea. Was he going crazy? Was he going to be one of those people who saw and heard dead loved ones all the time in strangers?

He stared into his mess of noodles, still coughing, but suddenly, all he could think about was Sasuke. He bit the inside of his cheek. Naruto took a couple deep breaths, closing his eyes.

"Hey, kid, you alright?"

Naruto looked up. The bartender was looking at him through narrowed eyes. Naruto nodded jerkily.

"Fine, old man," he assured with a too-bright smile. The bartender harrumphed and let it be.

Naruto sighed, wondering if he should leave, when the voices picked up again. He composed himself.

Right! Sasuke was gone. He wasn't here in this bar. Naruto needed to get a grip if he was going to get a good look at this group. He listened in again.

"-Heard there was a riot in town today," the voice drawled to his left, directed towards the men Naruto had been listening to. His heart fluttered. Oh gods. That voice. There was something so familiar about it. Low, slightly husky. Naruto couldn't help it. Slowly, he turned, his gaze sliding over to the men sitting in the shadowed corner, slumped over beers.

For a second his heart dropped into his shoes, but then he shook himself.

The young man that had ordered the beer was sitting down at the table, black bangs concealing a handsome face. Naruto watched in apprehension, trying to ward off a foolish hope, waiting for the man to lift his face.

It wasn't Sasuke, Sasuke was dead, but…

Then it happened, the young man looked up, and locked eyes with Naruto. The blond's breath caught. The young man, who had to be Akira, locked dark eyes with his own. Naruto quickly looked away.

_Sasuke_...? He shook himself, thinking, _Get a hold of yourself. _But that face! Naruto waited. The seconds that trickled past felt like hours as he waited for the raven haired youth to move, to call out to him.

If Sasuke were here, Sasuke would seek him out. Sasuke would find him.

But no one came looking for Naruto, and he wanted to slap some sense into himself.

He looked back, just once, to convince himself. Akira's dark eyes had lowered and averted their gaze. He continued to speak with the two men beside him, as if nothing unusual or momentous had happened.

Naruto's heart fell.

He'd wanted it to be Sasuke so badly. He _needed_ the young man to be Sasuke. He looked like he could be him, sounded like him, but there had been no recognition in that dark gaze. None at all. Plus, the young man's hair was longer than Sasuke's, and this guy had a dusting of facial hair. Even his face, though it could have been familiar, seemed different. More weathered maybe? A little darker, more rugged. Sasuke had always been clean-shaven. The guy had some sort of vendetta against facial hair.. He would have never allowed himself a coating of stubble like that.

The stranger was still handsome, and still like Sasuke in looks. It was truly beginning to bother him. If only he could get a closer look-

Naruto moved before he thought. Before he knew it, he was passing the table. The talk around the men died instantly, and they looked up at him suspiciously as he walked past.

"Got something to say, blondie?" A gray, tough-as-gristle older man with an eyepatch over his left eye asked in a gravelly voice. He crossed thick, muscled arms across his chest. Naruto looked pointedly at him before sliding his gaze over at the younger man, who scowled. Once again, there was no flicker of recognition. Only genuine curiosity, with a hint of suspicion. He noticed, as heat snaked up his neck from embarrassment (what was he doing? what was he going to say?), that the young man was slowly assessing him with those captivating dark eyes.

So Naruto said nothing, only frowned at them like it had been a mistake, and turned to keep walking, when Sasuke's look-a-like spoke.

"Do I know you?" the stranger asked suddenly. Naruto looked back, trying to ignore the pain. Could it be possible that he was so delusional in his grief that he was beginning to think he could see Sasuke in other people? It made him wonder, and it kind of freaked him out a bit. He blinked owlishly before finding his voice.

"Sorry. I guess I thought…I mistook you for someone else," he muttered. Naruto turned away, but he knew the dark haired young man was still staring at him.

Naruto left as quickly as he could, nearly stumbling over a chair in the process and cursing himself. He could still feel the burning gaze boring a hole in his back as he hurried through the doors, staggering into the night.

Breathing raggedly once outside, Naruto leaned against the wall of the pub, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes, and his throat thickening with the sobs he was holding back. He swiped at his face. _Dammit. Fucking dammit_.

He tried to calm himself.

But…but that person looked like Sasuke! Just like him! With long hair and stubble and a bit of a tan, but still Sasuke! Naruto kicked at the trash can, cursing loudly. He had to face it. He had to come to terms with it.

Sasuke was never coming back.

* * *

><p>Akira watched the handsome blond stranger stumble over a chair and make a hasty retreat out of the pub. Huang chuckled.<p>

"Got an admirer, Akira? Kid looked about ready to either piss himself or kiss you when you locked eyes, and here I thought only the ladies fell over themselves for you."

Akira rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Huang. Don't forget that those ladies include your daughter." He hadn't slept with Huang's daughter, only turned down her advances, but no one had to know that. Akira didn't bat an eyelash when Huang rose with such ferocity that his chair skidded back across the floor, causing the locals to look up in alarm. Akira continued to drink from his mug, as if nothing interesting had happened. Norio tried to diffuse the tension.

"Huang. Sit. Down. Now!" the burly blond man hissed. Eye twitching, Huang slowly gathered his chair, set it upright, and sat down, flashing his middle finger at Akira. He smiled grimly.

"Don't roll that way, eh? Could've fooled me, covering your face with that long prissy-ass hair of yours. Must take you most of the morning to get it right." Huang said with a barking laugh. Throwing him a scathing glare, Akira didn't answer, and his thoughts were occupied anyway. He wouldn't admit that something about the blond stranger had set his body on fire, his heart to racing, and that voice…gods that voice…he had heard it somewhere before...

Eyes widening, Akira stood up abruptly. Norio and Huang started.

"What, what is it?" Norio asked.

"Nothing," Akira muttered, walking to the doors. With a purpose, he threw the double doors open, stepping out into the night. He looked around quickly, his heart in his throat. But he saw no one; just an old homeless man singing with gusto as he swung a can of beer over his head. He spotted Akira and grinned toothlessly.

"Looking for someone, eh, boy? Ain't we allllll lookin' fer that lost love of ours?" The dirty, disheveled man called out, throwing his arms up and collapsing backward into his pile of rags in the dirt. Akira turned around, ready to walk back inside. For one moment, for one insane moment, he had thought that voice was the voice that haunted him in his dreams.

_Sasuke, _the voice whispered.

Akira sighed, rubbing his temples. That voice…it was so similar to the one he dreamed of! He looked around for the young blond man he had seen, but in vain. Where had he gone to so quickly? Disheartened, Akira was about to turn inside, when he sensed a presence. He hesitated, and looked to his left.

A woman was staring at him. An old, ugly woman with so many wrinkles her leathery dark skin looked as gnarled as tree bark. When she said nothing, Akira decided to forget about her perturbing stare and move on, but then the hag spoke.

"Murderer," she said. Akira stopped cold. He turned, glaring at the woman. Why was she looking at him like that? The way she stared at him, as though he were a demon wrought from hell, made him pause.

"Murderer!" she shrieked, falling back, as though a vengeful ghost stood before her. Akira gritted his teeth.

"Senile old bitch," he muttered, annoyed at her antics.

"You're him! You're Sasuke Uchiha!" the hag snarled. Akira froze.

Uchiha?

No. No, it couldn't be. Time seemed to slow.

_Who is he?_ Akira had asked Eiji once.

_Not someone you'd want to cross paths with. He's part of the Akatsuki._

The Akatsuki…the ones behind his foster family's murder. He thought of Kaoru's dead eyes. Kanako's sacrifice. Eiji's sad end. Emiko's disappearance, and a bitter rage brewed within him. He felt sick.

No.

No!

He wasn't one of them. The hag was wrong. Fear of who he _could_ be and anger bit into him like shards of glass in his veins.

By now the old woman was screaming, flailing her arms in the street. "Uchiha! Sasuke Uchiha is in Saka! Rally the nin! Call the Chief of Police! Call-"

Akira was about to run forward, silence the old woman with a forceful word or two, but suddenly she stumbled, hand going to her chest. Akira's eyes widened as he saw the blood seep from between her fingers and spread across the front of her dress.

He rushed forward, catching her before she fell heavily to the ground. She gaped up at him, trying to twist weakly away from his hold.

"Rot in hell, you monster!" she gasped out as the light dimmed from her eyes. Akira watched as she died. She tried to claw him in the face, but she had gone still in his arms. Dumbstruck, he stared at the shriveled old woman. He stared at the handle of the dagger embedded in her chest and he almost dropped her, stunned.

_What the hell_-!?

Before he heard Norio's voice, Akira's body was already preparing to fight.

"Get up. It's time to go. Put her down now." Norio's voice jarred him, and he started. He looked over his shoulder.

"Well? You going to give me my knife, boy?" Norio asked, an edge to his voice. Akira dropped the woman's body, plucked the dagger from her chest and brandished it. Norio chuckled at his antics.

"Gonna kill me, are you? What's with the noble act?" he asked darkly.

Akira was too high on adrenaline to think. "What the fuck is wrong with you? She was just an old woman-!" He tried to keep himself from shouting, his body buzzing.

Norio snorted, like Akira was being ridiculous. "That old bitch was screaming like a banshee. Need I remind you, we aren't exactly welcome? Can't have anyone calling us out now, can we, Sasuke?" Norio asked with a bitter laugh. He was toying with Akira by calling him 'Sasuke', trying to get a rise out of him. Akira blinked, white-hot anger boiling his blood.

He wasn't. No _way_ was he affiliated with the sick fucks who were responsible for killing the Yammagatas!

"I'm not-" he started to spit, but Norio cut him off.

"Forget it, kid. Let's go. Now give me my fucking dagger."

Akira hesitated. Around them, the streets were deserted, and the drunken homeless man was still singing raucously, _"Oh, I was pining for my lady love, the sweet and lovely Lin, but she couldn't stand my singing, and stabbed me with a pin!"_

"Come, Akira," Norio called. Seething, Akira followed. Norio turned his back to the youth, and they met Huang in an alleyway.

"Oi, boy, you tell me if you ever find that sweetie of yours!" The old drunk man hollered as he watched Akira disappear. Huang eyeballed Akira, but he ignored the look. As they weaved through the alleyways, Akira kept his eyes focused on Norio's toned back, the muscles rippling beneath his shirt as he moved. He was a powerful man, Norio. The old woman's angry chant buzzed in Akira's head like a hornet:

_Murderer. Murderer_!

Akira imagined plunging a dagger deep into Norio's back. But maybe not powerful enough.

Murderer, indeed.


	28. Games

**_Possible triggers for this chapter: Bigotry_**

* * *

><p><em>Games<em>

"Do you fear me, Kabuto?" Madara's voice slithered out of his mask and Kabuto grimaced under his gaze.

"Look at me." Madara's finger hooked under the tip of Kabuto's chin, and the serpentine medic nin slowly slid his golden gaze onto the masked figure before him. His lip curled in distaste.

Outwitted. What a nasty word.

Kabuto Yakushi had divulged secrets, had helped Madara gain the upper hand in some situations, and yet he had been a fool. He had believed he was playing a game in which he could see the steps ahead if he rolled his dice right.

And finally, he had come across the genjutsu secret from Itachi's corpse that he had been looking for, only to be foiled.

Only Madara had planned this fromt he start, hadn't he? He'd known he could have done this to Kabuto all along.

Kabuto wasn't needed to deliver Naruto's child. Madara wanted the birth to kill the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. Naturally, the demon would assist in the needed jutsu technique if it wanted to survive through the ordeal. Kabuto had to admit it, Madara had played him for a fool and he had unwittingly obliged. Fresh anger coursed through his veins. Orochimaru's rebirth seemed a distant, impossible thing at this moment. He looked defiantly into Madara's swirling red eye.

"How does it feel? To be the weaker one? Tell me. Tell me you're afraid." Madara said darkly, trailing a gloved finger down Kabuto's jawline. The medic nin shuddered in disgust. Madara laughed wickedly, obviously enjoying his little power trip over his supposed rival.

* * *

><p>Madara would be a dirty liar if he said he didn't enjoy making Kabuto squirm, or that he didn't enjoy having power and control over someone, especially when they were losing at their own game, huddled in misery before his power.<p>

It reminded him, in a twisted way, of Hashirama.

Before Madara Uchiha became despised.

_"Look at me, Madara. Are you afraid?" Hashirama whispered against his lover's ear. Madara swallowed compulsively, not looking at the handsome Senju clansman. Exposed, naked, ashamed, he lay on the plush bed of his lover, on his side against Hashirama's chest, he refused to look over._

_Black, glittering eyes locked on the orange flames that danced and licked against their log beds in the fireplace. Fire had such...power. It was power he had been after, and it was the lure of power that had (partially) led him into Hashirama's bed._

_Now, it had humiliated him, in the form of Hashirama Senju. The most admirable, popular man in the newly formed village of Konoha. Six feet of sculpted, tanned, muscled body, silky black hair that fell in a plunge down his back, and stormy gray eyes as dark and threatening as a thundering sky. Madara smiled bitterly. One only had to look beneath the beautiful exterior to see the demon that lurked beneath._

_What a lie._

_"Tell me you're afraid to lose me, Madara. Please," Hashirama's hand slid up his thigh, resting on his hip. The man's fingertips sent trails of sensation coursing through Madara's skin, and in that moment he hated Hashirama for having that power over him. Madara's lips set in a thin line._

_"I'm not afraid to lose you," Madara whispered. Beside him, he felt his lover recoil from him. Slowly, Madara turned, locking coal black eyes onto the muscled and beautiful form that was Hashirama Senju._

_He wanted to love him. He wanted to love him so badly…but he couldn't. Not anymore. All he felt was resentment. Regret. Anger that bordered on something far more permanent and black._

_Madara's lip curled in disgust, and the anger he felt sat heavily in his chest, threatening to set his whole body ablaze with the force of it. Madara sidled up closer to Hashirama, who was looking at him intently now, suspicious. Madara whispered against the shell of Hashirama's ear._

_"Go. Take the Whirlpool bitch for a wife and fuck her senseless for all I care." His voice dripped with venom. He stood up, reaching for his clothing that had been kicked to the foot of the bed. Hashirama shook his head._

_"You can't mean-"_

_"Oh yes. Yes, I do. I mean it with all my being, Hashirama. I do not need you. Not anymore," Madara hissed. A spasm of emotion flickered across the Senju clansman's face. Madara smiled when he noticed the sharp gleam of betrayal in Hashirama's gray eyes._

_Ah, the bittersweet sting of revenge._

_"Madara-"_

_"You think you can just take the position for yourself, don't you? Leave me behind after we've worked on this together?" Madara spoke in a controlled voice, but it made his lover wince. Hashirama quieted. For a moment, neither spoke._

_"You must understand," Hashirama tried to explain a little desperately, "This isn't a matter of who is stronger. This is a matter of who is more capable of handling the people, of handling this village, correctly."_

_Madara laughed bitterly."You do not trust me in a seat of power!" he accused. Hashirama frowned, but he didn't deny it, and it made Madara heart harden against him, and allowed his rage to spill forth._

_"You are brilliant, Madara. You are the most powerful ninja I know. Your technique is ingenious. You will offer many and more to the development of our village. But not as the Hokage." Hashirama was firm, rising from the bed. Madara's jaw clenched, and he dressed quickly._

_"You're pushing me aside. Ridding yourself of me." he said, bluntly. Hashirama instantly came to his side. Madara swatted him away._

_"Of course not," he denied vehemently. "I am not-"_

_"Then why are you taking a wife?" Madara hissed. Hashirama looked away, abashed._

_"You thought you could keep this from me. You are a fool to think you can keep such things from me. I always discover your secrets."_

_Hashirama looked pained. "I was going to tell you when the time was right-"_

_"WE HAD A PLAN!" Madara shouted then, silencing his lover further. Madara shook with fury, black thoughts surfacing in his mind. It was true! it had been true, he realized with growing trepidation and nauseating anger._

_Hashirama had used him from the start. He could barely form his words, get them to climb out of his throat._

_"We were going to do this together. We brought our people together, we were going to rule side by side, together. Now you do this to me. You break it into a sole position of power, and to add salt to the wound, you begin to court a woman and ask for her hand." Madara accused. Hashirama was silent. The silence made the pain that much more palpable, made the betrayal that much more sharp. Like a shard of glass was slowly working its way through Madara's heart, and it wasn't finished pushing through the muscle._

_"SAY SOMETHING!" Madara bellowed. Deny it. Deny what I just said, he silently pleaded, but he knew it was a vain thought. Hashirama reached for him again, but Madara moved away from his touch._

_"You will still be there," Hashirama insisted, "You will still be-"_

_Madara hit him. Hard. Hashirama grunted and put a hand to his bleeding mouth._

_Madara eyed him coldly. "Still be what, Hashirama? Second in command? Second to you in everything? Second to you even when all you need is a good fuck to end your day? No. No! I will not submit to you. I am strong. I am strong and I do not need you," he whispered darkly. With a final kick to his now former lover's face, Madara gathered the rest of his clothes and left swiftly._

_He didn't cry. There was no need. Pain, in Madara's world, surfaced in different ways. No matter, he thought, already sifting through ideas. Hashirama wasn't going to get away with this. He wasn't going to get away with stealing Madara's rightful position._

_Afterall, it had been Madara who had proposed the merging of the clans and the creation of the village. It had been Madara who suggested how best to go about the power struggle. It was he who had been behind a lot of the politics. He'd be damned if it was all taken from him. Infuriated, he returned to the Uchiha compound. He rallied supporters, began his campaign for Hokage._

_He didn't get far._

_He had been speaking to a group one afternoon, confident in his words, when it happened. A rotten cabbage hit him in the face._

_"Sodomist!" an onlooker screamed. A deadly silence fell over the crowd. Those who had gathered frowned, and began to whisper, waiting to see what their admired and appointed leader would do next. Madara stared, wide-eyed, at the culprit: a ragged boy clearly from the Senju clan._

_Why the hell a Senju kid was running rampant in the Uchiha part of the village was indeed a good question, but it wasn't suspicious enough to make Madara pause. Yet. Black fury nearly blinded him for a moment, but he pushed it away. It would do no good to make a spectacle of this._

_Instead, he kicked at the rotten vegetable where it sagged on his stand, sending it sailing away. He carried on as if had never hit him As if he'd heard nothing. He was strong. His eyes narrowed when he noticed a larger group of ragtag Senju boys and girls appear from the alleys, creeping into the crowd and merging with the faces of the clansmen like a fungus. But Madara said nothing about it. He turned his eyes away._

_He was strong. A few snotty kids weren't going to change that._

_He looked them in the eye and said,"We Uchiha are the roots of this village, the very foundation of its existence! Our people deserve a say in this matter! We do not deserve to be pushed aside, oppressed, as our supposed allies deny us the right to help rule the village we helped create! I will lead you there, guide you with the utmost-"_

_"Booooo!"_

_"Sodomist!"_

_"Ass licker!"_

_"Murderer!"_

_"Look at him, wearing his brother's eyes like a monster!"_

_"Take a flying leap!"_

_"Fucking faggot. Get off the stage!"_

_A multitude of rotten fruit and vegetables sailed towards him. For a moment, he was too stunned to move, his thought straying to his dead brother and leaving his brain numb. But suddenly he kicked into gear, avoiding the hits. Infuriated, but not otherwise deterred, Madara continued, merely sidestepping the rotten array. He wouldn't give the kids the satisfaction of reacting to their disgusting and bigoted display by using violence._

_He was above them._

_"Join me, and I will lead you and this village to its rightful position of power in this world!" He watched, in dismay, in anger, as the crowd began to trickle away. Only a few stayed, but none stopped the children, who were now snickering and making obscene gestures. With a final word, thanking the listeners for their time and support,, Madara walked off the platform with all the dignity he could muster._

_Upon returning to his home, Madara bathed, washed and changed his clothes, as if the children's words had dirtied him. He began to plan his next speech, this time to the Elders of his community. He needed their support just as much as he needed the clansmen._

_If he had enough backup with the clansmen, the Elders would consider and petition for Madara to run alongside Hashirama in an election rather than simply picking the Senju clansmen due to a popularity contest. At least, that was how Madara viewed it. An unfair, unjustifiable, popularity contest. If another candidate didn't have enough votes or support, Hashirama would simply be declared Hokage._

_It wasn't right._

_Hashirama could make wood. Big fucking whoop. Madara had the Mangekyo. Madara was stronger._

_As the days passed, the harassment he endured slowly worsened. The Uchiha men and women began to look upon him with doubt. The number of people who attended his speeches dwindled, until none came at all. He would come home to find his windows shattered, his walls graffitied. Still, he did nothing._

_He would prove to his people his worth. He would show them his strength by exemplifying that he was above this juvenile bullying. He would show them he was the epitome of a man above pain. A man above trivial matters who could take care of his village without becoming impaired by emotion that could damage his outlook._

_Eventually, he began to hear whispers in the streets. He noticed his presence elicited dirty looks and stares. The vendors at the shops treated him suspiciously, others coldly. At one point, some wouldn't take his money at all. It had happened slowly at first, like a storm that began as a soft drizzle of rain and later exploded into a maelstrom of lightning, hail, and blinding sheets of rain._

_He had been ostracized. It was why no one would look at him, or take his money at the shops, or speak to him._

_Madara went to the Elders._

_"Please, reconsider." He bowed lowly, so that his forehead touched the gleaming floors of the Elder's quarters. Silence reigned. Madara didn't lift his head. He stayed rooted to the spot, a picture of respect and humility. The Elders watched on, unimpressed by his presence._

_"We will not," the reply came at last. Slowly, very slowly, Madara straightened, until he was sitting on his knees, staring at the Elders on their silk cushions, in their fancy yukatas, sipping expensive tea on an ornately carved kotatsu._

_For the first time since he was small, Madara was at a loss for words. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts._

_"I do not understand. I am right for this. I have had the respect of our clan for years. I can run against him. We can win-"_

_He was cut off._

_"Hashirama has already promised our people a position of power in this village. We would have the honor of controlling the village's system of security and ninja ways. We would control it. All of it."_

_"Then one of our own should also be sitting in the Hokage's seat. It is only right-"_

_"If we were to appoint someone to race alongside Hashirama, it most certainly wouldn't be you," an old woman stated coldly. Madar blinked. Hisao, the Elder who had previously been speaking, sighed deeply._

_"Madara, if fate had been any other way, we would have gladly appointed you. You are a strong, able-bodied warrior with a sharp mind. But we cannot risk it. You are not loved, Madara. In fact, your image is now tarnished. Slandered. We will not affiliate ourselves with such disgusting gossip. You are not fit to rule for that alone. Hashirama Senju will do the title of Hokage justice. We, the Council, have decided to support him."_

_Madara listened, each word branding him with a hidden insult._

Faggot.

Sodomist.

Murderer.

_The Elders and the people of the Uchiha clan in that day were a conservative lot with strict morals. Later, much later, the clan would abandon some of these foundations, but Madara would never see that day. And Madara had broken their code._

_It was over. He had been ostracized, and it finally hit him. He had merely been too proud to see it. Too determined to notice that there was no fixing the damage that had been done. For so long, he had paraded around making speeches, making an utter fool of himself._

_Something inside Madara snapped cleanly in two at that moment. He didn't know what, but whatever it was, something dark and sinister poured out of it the minute it was cleaved in two, and it was never the same again._

_"Who?" Madara whispered. "Who claims this? Where is their proof-?"_

_"It comes from a source we cannot deny, and who can deny the words of a man with power?" Hisao answered tiredly. Madara stiffened, the cogs in his brain turning._

_"Now leave. Leave before you sicken us with your taint." Hisao sniffed as he took his tea. Madara looked to the Elders. He realized they were looking on in disgust, as if he were a cockroach they'd discovered in their rice._

_At that point, Madara _hated_ them._

_Bowing lowly, still respectful, Madara took his leave. He walked through the streets not seeing the dark looks, not hearing the whispers, and not noticing his surroundings. He walked to his home and gathered a bag. Directly after, he snuck away into the heart of the village. Outside of the Uchiha walls, he wasn't paid too much attention. He walked on, determined._

_It had been four months since he had last seen Hashirama alone. He finally stopped in front of a lovely one floor, spacious looking home sprawled across a grassy lot. Madara rapped smartly on the door. A lovely red haired and blue-eyed woman answered the door. She paused uncertainly when she realized just who was filling her doorway. She blinked, eyes widening in surprise._

_"Uchiha-san! Please, come in. Do you wish to speak with Hashirama?" she asked politely, reverting to a very formal way of speech with honorifics. He swallowed a snort. Well, wasn't this woman just charming in all the right ways._

_He nodded curtly, and allowed the woman to escort him inside. The house was lavishly furnished, with scrolls of lovely inspiring kanji decorating the cream colored walls._

_"You are his wife?" Madara asked through clenched teeth as they walked towards the sitting room. He refused to let the observation do more than anger him. The woman blushed prettily._

_"Excuse me, Uchiha-san. I did not realize you did not know of me. Although I am sure you received a wedding invitation? Hashirama was adamant that you receive one. I am Mito, of the Uzumaki clan, from the Village Hidden in the Tides. Whirlpool Country. Have you ever seen it?"_

_Madara nodded coolly and said he hadn't. Yes, Madara had in fact received a wedding invitation. That didn't mean he'd actually read it or cared enough to know of the betrothed woman's name. He had ripped it and tossed it away upon its delivery without bothering to read it._

_Who the hell sent a wedding invitation to their recent ex-lover?_

_Certainly not an honorable person._

_Mito escorted him to a sitting room and poured him some tea before darting away to find her husband. Damn her. She was a pretty little thing. And so sickeningly polite. As the seconds trickled past, Madara stared into the amber liquid in his tea cup, pondering the words he was going to say._

_"Madara," Hashirama's silky voice was surprised, and infuriatingly enough…happy. Madara looked up from his cup, eyeing the man coldly. He didn't rise from his seat, and was secretly pleased to notice that this annoyed Hashirama slightly, if the slight frown that marred his handsome face was anything to go by._

_"Hashirama," Madara acknowledged, and he made a show of lounging on the couch in a relaxing position. His ex-lover's frowned deepened, but he came forward. Hashirama didn't sit._

_"I didn't hear back from you about the wedding," Hashirama said quietly. Madara barked out a laugh._

_"As if I would attend?" he asked, lazily draping an arm around a pillow. Hashirama looked away._

_"I only wanted to make peace. I meant no harm by sending you the invitation. If you only would have bothered to open it, you would have found the note inside-"_

_"Yes, a load of good that would have done," Madara hissed. He paused a moment before fixing cold black eyes on the man before him._

_"I know what you did to me, Hashirama. You dirty little fucker. I would like to say I'm impressed and I didn't know you had it in you, but I'm much too angry at the moment to appreciate your newfound evils."_

_Hashirama blinked, the confusion clear in his eyes. "I do not understand," he admitted._

_Madara smiled when he spoke, and he knew it must have looked fearsome. "You slandered me when you realized I would try to run against you. You slandered my name in the Uchiha clan, and you did a hell of a job, I must say. I've been ostracized."_

_Hashirama paled. "Madara…I…I do not know what to say. Perhaps I can-"_

_"Well, sorry won't suffice, I'm afraid, The Uchiha said with a hollow chuckle._

_Hashirama's features hardened. "I would never do such a thing to you. I respect you. I care for you-"_

_Madara held up a hand. "Save the bullshit. I didn't come here for your sympathy," he spat._

_Hashirama looked wounded, and irritated Madara to no end. How dare he look like a victim in this matter!_

_Hashirama tried to speak again. "Madara, please. Calm yourself. We will get to the heart of this matter. If you will just tell me what has happened, I will see to it that it is fixed-"_

_"Already acting the part of Hokage. That's rich. You've stolen so much from me lately…I thought I could steal that one thing from you. I am able and fit enough to be Hokage. I deserve it," Madara said._

_Hashirama sighed deeply, and took a seat. "I do not deny that you deserve recognition for the man you are. However, I cannot support you in your endeavors to become Hokage."_

_Madara wondered if the Sharingan could activate on anger alone. "Why? Why can't you let me have this one thing?" he hissed. If I cannot have you, what is left? he wondered._

_Hashirama paused. "Madara, you are a great man. You are a man worthy of deep respect, I will not deny it. However, you do not view the people in their entirety as your own. Your desire power too much to become a figurehead ."_

_Madara stared at him. Then he laughed. "As if you are so innocent! You deny me this; you! The man who promised me the world-"_

_"You cannot have the world, Madara." Hashirama spoke calmly. Madara fought against his surge of anger._

_"But you can have Konoha, is that it?" Madara whispered. "What are the people, Hashirama, but citizens who need to be led forward and protected?"_

_"The citizens are more than the people who populate the village. They are part of you, Madara. Your arms, your legs. As their leader, you are the brain, the head of it all. You must think and act accordingly so that you do not damage a part of your own body. You do not view the people in such a precious light. You only want power." Hashirama spoke firmly now, anger lacing his voice._

_"You think you are better than me." Madara said finally._

_Hashirama sighed. "Will you ever let me get through to you?"_

_"Tell me you slandered me first," Madara urged. Hashirama colored, his frown twisting into a distasteful grimace._

_"I have told you-"_

_"Oh yes. Right. You didn't have a hand in it and I should just tell you what's happened, so you can come to my rescue and magically fix it, blah blah blah. I am not a sniveling boy who needs protection, Hashirama. Tell me. Tell me you slandered me. Tell me what you did to spite me." He was leaning forward in his seat, waiting for it. He just wanted to hear the bastard say it-_

_"I haven't done anything to spite you," Hashirama said lowly, "I have done nothing but love you."_

_Madara laughed bitterly. "You say this to me after you marry a woman, after you take the position you denied me, after you allowed me to undergo abuse the past few months until I became a blight upon my clan? No one else knew about our relationship. Only you could have done this to me. Love me? Ha! You make such a convincing argument, Hashirama, I simply do not know how to dispel it!" Madara said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. He watched as Hashirama slowly succumbed to anger._

_"Get out of my house," the soon-to-be Hokage growled._

_"Tell me you slandered me first."_

_"Get. Out. Of. My. House."_

_"Tell me you slandered me!" Madara cried. "Let me hear it slip past your deceitful lips!" Madara rose from his seat, heart racing. Hashirama looked thunderous._

_"You will never be Hokage material, Madara! Never! You will never be right for the position! You are not compassionate enough. You lack insight, empathy, and understanding. You are not the right man for the job. You will never successfully lead this village. You are too selfish! Perhaps this slander will humble you. Now you are just a man. Now you are not fit to be Hokage."_

_Madara felt the blood drain from his face, then felt himself flush in anger. He turned to the door._

_"Burn in Hell, Hashirama. I will not forget this betrayal. You mark my words. I will never let you rest in peace. I'll be back to drag you to the fire, and then you're going to wish you had never let me go." He slipped out of the house as quiet as a shadow, leaving a distraught and fuming Hashirama alone in his sitting room, staring at a cold cup of tea._

* * *

><p>It wasn't Hashirama Senju in front of Madara now.<p>

It was only Kabuto, and for some reason, this angered the Akatsuki leader.

"Tell me you're afraid of what I might do to you now," Madara whispered. Kabuto scowled.

"I will welcome whatever you wish to do to me, my Lord," Kabuto said through clenched teeth. Madara's Sharingan eye whirled.

It was time Kabuto knew pain for his mistakes. Madara had waited for this moment. He had bided his time. Learned all he could from the medic nin before he became expendable.

Whatever it was Kabuto had truly been planning, Madara would see an end to it. He had no doubt Kabuto would later double cross him, or try to. So it would end here. And now. Madara had been perfecting this technique so discreetly, Kabuto had failed to notice it.

Madara was done toying with the medic nin. He grew bored of the antics. He needed Kabuto to stop whatever plan he was concocting.

Kabuto was too hungry for knowledge. So hungry, that, during a fleeting moment, he was blind to the world.

This was his greatest flaw.

Kabuto froze. Unbidden, his snakes slithered from his sleeves, hissing softly, dark mouths opened to reveal glistening fangs. Eyes widening, Kabuto attempted to drive them back, but it was a futile attempt. Real fear flashed across his face. The snakes were under the control of the Mangekyo.

The white snakes turned their heads towards their master, curling around his neck, their forked tongues brushing against his cheek.

Kabuto held still.

"Five minutes, did you say?" Madara whispered. Kabuto swallowed, his skin shiny with a light sheen of sweat in the candlelight.

"Their poison can't kill me. They are a part of me-"

"You might be immune to their venom, but their evil will maim you. This is your punishment, Kabuto. This is what you deserve."

For a moment, Kabuto stared, stunned, but he regained his composure."Why not kill me? Get it over with? Take your body back."

Madara had no desire to see his body. If it had been discovered by Kabuto finally, it had been time for another hiding place. And Kabuto had already solved that problem, hidden it for him.

What did he need his body for now? He would always be able to find it.

"Well, that wouldn't be nearly as much fun…would it?" Madara whispered, and Kabuto gasped as one of his snakes sank its fangs into the soft space between his thumb and index finger on his right hand. Two minutes later, Kabuto was shaking, gasping, and sweating as Madara led him to a chair to sit down.

"Now, you see why you cannot cross me, Yakushi?" Madara spoke almost gently. Kabuto shivered, grimacing in pain.

"You have given me powerful assets, and divulged extraordinary secrets. You have been a blessing in disguise, but that won't save you. Let this be one of many lessons, Yakushi. Fight me, or join me. The choice is yours, but know that I can destroy you at a moment's notice. Know that I can take from you without much difficulty." He waited for Kabuto to speak.

"…Still…have...you body…." Kabuto gasped out while he shivered and writhed, sweating profusely. Madara chuckled.

"You poor fool. Your experiences with Orochimaru should have been a lesson learned. You should have realized that there are men you simply can't dance with. Me being one of them."

Kabuto's eyes were bulging. "You will…never be….as great as Hashirama…." Kabuto bit out.

_Slap_.

His head snapped to the side.

Madara trembled with rage. "Never compare my endeavors as a weakness to his memory," he hissed, outraged. Shaking, Kabuto looked at his hand, and winced, looking away. It was swollen, black, and useless. He couldn't move his last three fingers.

His hand was useless and ugly.

"Now…_do_ it." Madara ordered.

"But..my…my hand…" Kabuto whimpered. He couldn't perform seals. Not anymore. Madara's eye glittered evilly.

"Incapacitated, are you?" he asked, and he enjoyed the look of rage that consumed Kabuto. He couldn't perform the necessary seals with a dead hand.

"You are out of your league, Kabuto. But it was fun playing your game. I was hoping you would prove to be more than you seemed, but unfortunately you failed to surprise me. You can still be of use to me, however. Now…do it. I want to see you try." Madara ordered again.

...

Kabuto stared at his black, swollen hand. Clumsily, he attempted the seal. Madara watched him, silent. Kabuto began to sweat again. His mouth ran dry and he hung his head in shame and defeat. He gritted his teeth against the waves of shame and hatred. All this time...he had been played with, when he could have been done away with.

"I…I can't," he whispered.

"You can't?" Madara echoed.

"No…" Kabuto answered quietly, swallowing his pride.

"And why is that?"

Kabuto shot angry golden eyes up at the masked nin.

"_Tell_ me why that is." Madara pressed.

Kabuto grimaced before saying,"Because you incapacitated-"

"Because I incapacitated you," Madara said in almost perfect unison with the medic nin, cutting him off. "That is right. So tell me, Kabuto, how do you win in this?"

There was a pause before Kabuto looked away and spoke lowly. He chose the safest answer, but not, he believed, the correct one.

"I…I don't."

Madara nodded, placing a hand on Kabuto's shoulder. "You don't." he agreed. Madara stepped away.

"Now, give me a detailed report, and don't lie to me," Madara whispered. Kabuto took a deep breath.

"Sasuke Uchiha is rumored to be in Saka. Wind Country. It can't be confirmed. The source was an old drunk who saw an old woman screeching," Kabuto said finally, in a pained voice. Madara patted his shoulder lightly.

"There. That wasn't so hard, was it?" With that, the masked nin left Kabuto in his bare room, with no light but the ruddy orange flame of a wax candle. Shadows played on the stone walls, and Kabuto groaned as his hand ached painfully. Gasping, he looked at it again, only to avert his eyes in disgust.

He should have known better, but he was running out of options, and clearly, he was trapping himself further into a life of servitude for that passive-aggressive fucker. He wasn't sure, at this point, how to accomplish what he wanted.

It had been so wonderful when played out in his head: Infiltrate the Akatsuki. Get close to Madara. Play his little game. Trick Sasuke into sacrificing himself in exchange for Naruto's well being...

Bring Orochimaru back to physical life. The thought left him strangely hollow. His deranged mentor was forever gone, and the fact that there was nothing Kabuto could do to bring him back pushed his obsession for it harder. But...perhaps. Perhaps, Orochimaru was better off dead. Kabuto slouched in his chair.

He could sacrifice obsession and wait for the afterlife, if it meant the ultimate defeat for Madara.

Next on the super villain checklist?

Become the most powerful adversary in the ninja world next to Madara. Become someone important, a figurehead of power. Become the beacon of incredible knowledge and exceptional scientific discovery to the Shinobi world. He had, already, outdone himself, and yet there was no one to share the findings with.

Then, there had been the plans, after bringing Orochimaru back to physical form, of killing Madara by destroying his body. The genjutsu around the body was incredibly powerful. If Kabuto used his summoning jutsu for it correctly and did not look at the coffin, it usually did not affect him. Otherwise, his mind, left unprotected, would undoubtedly be poisoned by the illusionary curses protecting any who dared open it.

It had been why Kabuto was studying Itachi. It was another reason he could use Sasuke's Mangekyo for himself. To get past the illusions and be able to reach the body. The particular summoning jutsu he used for it had taken a lot of time and research to create. Furthermore, all he could do was summon it. Open it for mere moments if he wasn't looking at it, even. If he tried to tamper with it in any other way, the genjutsu would activate.

He needed the Sharingan.

He needed another way to get past Madara-

A thought occurred to him suddenly.

Of _course!_

Maybe…maybe what he'd come here for had been in vain. Maybe Kabuto should have taken his chances and switched sides while he could. Taken Madara's corpse to the Allied Shinobi Forces…

No, no. That would never do. He despised the hidden villages. Although the thought had crossed his mind more than once before he came to the Akatsuki. Amnesty, for their enemy's corpse. There were other ways to foil Madara. And, as he was learning, other sides to take.

But he had still been a fool. He had thought himself above simple tricks. He had thought himself above Madara's schemes. Yet he had trapped himself like a rat. Was this his fortune? His fate?

_Fortune's fool. Heh._

He was a power-hungry, sadistic wanna-be. He had only ended up where all traitorous fools were destined to be at the end of of every goddamn fairytale with a hidden moral.

Alone. Outwitted. Incapacitated. Beaten at his own game.

He did not possess the Sharingan. He had failed to get closer to it. He had no chance against the Mangekyo's influence except to avoid eye contact and hope for the best. Or use clones, but that hadn't gone exactly to plan either, had it?

His gut twisted. At that moment, he was consumed with hatred, with loss, with desperation. Madara could not win, even if that meant Kabuto could no longer win himself. He was far too invested in this game to let go.

There had to be a way.

The son of a bitch had to go down, and everyone else with him, or Kabuto would not rest. Kabuto's entire arm was throbbing in pain at this point, and he stood, conjuring his snakes. They slid from his sleeves, coiling upon the floor.

It was time to put his back-up plan, a technique he had carefully and secretly been perfecting especially for the moment Madara could kill him, in effect.

"Find him," Kabuto rasped to the snakes. He didn't need to clarify who. The snakes shot off into the shadows, and Kabuto lowered himself onto the bed.

There was a limited number of people who could defeat Madara Uchiha. In fact, there were only two people alive who could possibly accomplish it in a fight: Naruto Uzumaki, or Sasuke Uchiha.

But there was _one_ person who could have the power defeat Madara with his own memories. Kabuto grinned, humming to himself as he thought of Madara's coffin, hidden safely away beneath the ruined and forgotten catacombs of an ancient imaged what kind of power illusions would have on Madara himself.

The game wasn't over yet.


	29. Before the Storm: Old Ichiro's Secret

_Before the Storm: Old Ichiro's Secret_

The candlelight was weak. A flicker against the shadows that swallowed the room. The darkness should have helped cool the room, but even then it was suffocating. It was hot. It was _so_ hot. The old man in bed moaned pitifully.

"Take the blankets off. Take them off!" he pleaded. A face hovered before him, brows knit in worry. Who was that? Who was there? He could hardly see with that one little candle.

"Hush, Papa, hush. You have a fever." His daughter tried to soothe him, laying a cool wet cloth over his forehead. His head lolled to the side.

"I need more opium." His voice was gravelly in his throat. His daughter shushed him, wiping his face with the cloth.

"No, Papa. You don't. Rest a little."

"I'm in pain, dammit!" he bit out. What kind of monster had he raised? Could she not see his pain? Cruel little brat. He blinked bleary eyes, trying to take in his daughter's face, but she was hard to see. Her silver hair was quickly tied in a bun, and her lined face was set in stone.

Was Rina so old already? The thought made him feel ancient.

He was dying, wasn't he? Well, about goddamn time, he thought with a deep sigh, chest rising and falling with a little difficulty. His daughter flitted about.

"Rest, Papa, rest." She held his hand. He shook his head.

"Let me die in peace. Off with you, you meddling child," he managed. He felt her skin cool against his as her palm grew clammy. He slipped his fingers out of her grasp.

"You're not going to die," she whispered, as if he were a child. "You're just a little sick."

"Don't be a fool, Rina, I'm on my last night. I can feel it. Death will come to me tonight, and already the damn fool is late. Give me the opium," he said again. Gods, his brittle bones hurt so badly. Couldn't an old man have a little relief? The arthritis was a bitch, and even in death, it was flaring up horribly. Maybe death was a few hours off if he could still feel.

"You've had enough-" Rina began again, in a hardened tone, but her father cut her off.

"I'm as old as the fucking dirt in this house, Rina, and it hurts. Give me the damn opium and shut me up already," he snapped. His daughter frowned deeply. Without a word, she left. His breath caught in his throat, and he wheezed.

"Opium, Rina!" he shouted out weakly, but there was no reply. He rested against his pillow, raising a shaking hand to the cool cloth on his forehead. He relished the cold feeling against his fingers. What a heavenly thing a cold wet cloth was. The flame on the wax candle bobbed and shrunk, before flaring a little again.

As old as he was, Ichiro knew he wasn't alone. He was too tired to feel afraid.

"Who's there?" Ichiro called out in a brittle voice. Was it the angel of death, sent to carry him away to the moon on soft, black wings that glittered with stars? Or maybe the glitter was from the dying lights of the souls on Earth. He didn't know. He didn't care. As long as the ride was comfortable.

"Ichiro," a voice whispered. The old man craned his neck, squinted his eyes as he searched the dark corners not touched by the candle.

"About damn time! You better be here to take me away to the afterlife," he growled. The figure at the foot of his bed chuckled softly.

"I'm afraid not," came the quiet reply. Ichiro scowled at the figure as he studied the intruder.

"Well, you're sure ugly enough to be the Angel of Death," Ichiro commented, "all those scales. Shit. You aren't a demon here to carry me to hell, are you? Mother always did tell me my mouth would send me straight there. Ah fuck it. I don't even care anymore. Just take me there before I lose my mind."

The figure ignored him. His presence was slightly frightening. The man in his room was cloaked, but he had face that glimmered like moonlight, and just as silver as it. Scales seemed to dot his cheeks. He peered at Ichiro with golden eyes. Maybe it was a demon.

"Well, go on, then. Do it. I don't have all night."

The figure chuckled. "The fever's gotten to you. You're slightly delirious."

Ichiro frowned. "Did Rina give me that opium yet? Girl's as stubborn as her mother. Damn them," he muttered.

"Ichiro, listen to me," The demon said again. The old man fixed dimming eyes on him.

"Do you remember your childhood?" it asked. Ichiro paused. Childhood? Oh, yes...yes...snow looked so much prettier when he had been a boy.

"I'm fucking old. You think I can remember my childhood whenever you want me to?" Ichiro snapped. Kabuto's golden eyes glittered.

"Do you remember your brother's name?"

Ichiro snorted. "My brother. That clumsy fool. What was his name again? I think it started with a J..."

"It was Jiro," Kabuto supplied. Ichiro grunted.

"Is he dead?" he asked.

"Ichiro, your brother's been dead for almost forty years."

Ichiro made an exasperated sound. "Of course. Fool had to beat me at everything, even death. That little bastard." Ichiro laughed, but, tears sparkled in his eyes. There was no venom in his voice.

"I would love to see him again. I miss him," Ichiro wheezed. There was a pause.

"You're the oldest man in this village, Ichiro. The oldest man this village has ever seen. You've seen many things in your life."

There was no answer, only a wet cough.

"Do you remember Madara Uchiha, Ichiro?" Kabuto whispered. Ichiro groaned.

"Uchiha...Uchiha? Gods, that sounds familiar. Oh, you mean that pissy Uchiha with the hair. He was a fag." He waved his bony hand dismissively. "At least, that's what they told me. But that wasn't the problem. No, no. That wasn't it, but they used it, but they didn't care about that. I mean, hell, even the Elder had a man as a lover when his wife wasn't looking."

"Who's they, Ichiro?"

Ichiro scowled. "Who's who? What are you talking about? Are you gonna take me to the afterlife or what? Dammit, I'm a hundred fucking years old, and I'm willing! What's it take to get a cooperative spirit these days? Is good help that hard to find up there? Do me a favor and shut the hole in your face. Don't you know not to interrupt your elders? Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes. Those Uchihas. They have freaky eyes you know. Jiro was always scared of the Elders. Hell, I was so sure that one day Madara was gonna come home and see me and Jiro wrecking and graffiting his house and we would get a butt whoopin' of a lifetime. Then we'd be in for it! Oh yes, we would be."

Kabuto waited for a coughing spell to pass. It was a few minutes before Ichiro spoke again. "They told us to be good boys. There was some politics going on we didn't understand. We weren't from their clan anyway, just boys who needed a few bucks. Hisao always gave us candy afterward, too. He was a nice old man. Grandfatherly. Anyway, we did what we were told. Hisao was afraid of Madara. So were the Elders. They wanted him gone. So they finally found out a secret about him they could use. They ostracized him, saying it was because of that secret, and because the Senju were afraid of him by using his brother's eye. They thought he was a murderer. A criminal could not be Hokage, they said." He finished with a sigh. There was silence.

"Hisao slandered Madara?" Kabuto asked, a smile stretching across his face. "The Elders decided he couldn't have power, and so they manipulated the situation," he thought aloud, pleased. There was no reply.

Then,

"You gonna kill me or what?"_  
><em>


	30. Before the Storm

_Before the Storm_

The ANBU materialized out the darkness like phantoms in the night. Naruto wasn't surprised. He eyed them coldly as they greeted him with silent masked faces a quarter mile outside of Saka.

He spoke first. "The resistance group is in Saka. I must speak with the Kazekage immediately."

He'd surprised them, and for a second the small group paused before its leader nodded slowly.

"It was most unwise to wander off alone in times such as these," the ANBU leader said, and Naruto glared at him.

"Yeah, okay. Well then, I don't suppose you have any information on the resistance group the Kages could use, do you?"

He knew he was being given the stinkeye. Naruto said nothing, only waited, hands hooked behind his hand.

Grudgingly, the ANBU leader ndded again. "Very well. Please, allow us to escort you back to camp." Naruto smirked, and trailed behind them..

"So, you were able to actually see the men involved?" the ANBU leader prompted two miles later. Naruto shurgged.

"One is a blond man called Norio. Another, an older man who goes by Huang." He conveinently left out the part about a certain dark-haired young man who went by Akira.

Not long later, the camp came into view, nestled between the dunes. Gaara was waiting outside of his tent, arms crossed, expression unreadabe.

One look and Naruto knew that Gaara was pissed.

He marched into the tent, head held high, like he'd done nothing wrong, and claimed a cushion for himself. He was mildly surprised to find Maiko waiting inside. Did they think something was going to happen to me out there, he wondered. Gaara stepped in lightly, flanked by ANBU.

Gaara wasn't a man who was angry often, but when he was, he looked downright intimidating, and Naruto could almost see the troubled boy he'd seen in his youth hiding behind Shukaku's wrath.

Not that Naruto was actually intimidated. He did, however, feel a little empathy on the Kazekage's part. Him walking off and Gaara finding out about it (he mentally cursed. What had gone wrong? He'd have to find that clone and chew it out!) had probably caused a lot of undue stress.

Oh, and maybe camp-wide panic.

Oops.

He met Gaara's gaze boldly, and the Kazekage sat rigidly. Gaara's mouth worked, like he had something to say, but he seemed to swallow it before spitting it out. Finally, he said, "What were you thinking?"

Naruto winced. Gaara's voice was so carefully controlled, it was almost scarier than being yelled at by Tsunade. And that was saying a lot. He met the redhead head on.

"I was thinking I couldn't stand to sit idly by anymore," Naruto growled. "I'm not a prisoner."

"You were going to trail Temari-" Gaara accused, but Naruto shook his head.

"No." Naruto disputed this firmly. "I only wanted a bit of space. I just-"

Gaara stared at him. "A bit of space? Naruto, need I remind you of the price on your head?"

Heat flooded into Naruto's face, but he ignored it. "I don't need to be reminded. I'm not a defenseless woman, Gaara, and even if I was, I could damn well protect myself. I'm a fucking sage, and a respected Chuunin of my village. I don't need to be reminded of what I can and cannot do. Now, if you want to pull your head out of your ass, I'll inform you of the resistance group that's taken root here." That caught Gaara's attention. He looked up sharply. Ignoring the ass comment.

"The group is here? We had reports it was only clones addressing the crowd-"

"No. They're here. This must be dealt with, Gaara. We can't let them continue to preach. Something has to be done. Now." He insisted. Gaara sighed.

"It will be dealt with, I assure you. Now, please, go get some rest. You're dismissed," the Kazekage ordered tiredly. Cursing under his breath, Naruto was escorted out of the tent, though he none too gently slapped away any hands that dared attempt to reach out to him. He ripped past the tent flaps. Fuming, he marched into his tent, which was located directly across from Gaara's. He dismissed the Anbu sharply, and they left a little reluctantly.

Angrily, Naruto stripped off his shirt, throwing it, then climbed into his sleeping bag. He stared off into the dark, glaring at nothing in particular. His breathing slowed, as he suddenly realized someone was about to enter his tent.

He sat upright, jerking slightly as the movement woke the child within him. It dropkicked his bladder again, and Naruto almost had to chuckle. He frowned when Gaara stepped inside, his silhouette seeming to melt and merge with the loping shadows of the dark tent.

The Kazekage didn't speak. Not right away.

"Gaara? What is it? What's wrong?" Naruto stood, going over to him. Gaara didn't speak for a moment. The redhead sighed. The silence was slightly overwhelming, and it worried Naruto slightly.

"Gaara-"

"I know what you can and can't do." The Kazekage finally murmured. Naruto blinked in the dark, confused at the direction Gaara was taking.

"What-?"

"I'm merely...if you would only let me...I'm just trying to protect you. So please, cooperate with me," Gaara's voice faltered. Naruto waited for the "if you try this again, I'll-" part, but it never happened. He waited.

After a moment, Naruto kicked at the ground, a little embarrassed. Had he offended Gaara in some way? He seemed upset, and that didn't bode well with Naruto. "You can try to protect me, but in the end, I will need to fight my own battles," he tried to say, unsure of how to continue and assure Gaara that despite this, he was still grateful for all his friend was doing. But he wasn't the best with words sometimes. As he searched his mind for other things to say, a sharp, bitter chuckle escaped Gaara's lips.

"Right. Enlighten me, Naruto. How are you going to do that like this?" Without warning, Gaara pressed his hand against the smooth, barely-there curve of Naruto's abdomen. For being almost twenty-six weeks pregnant, the evidence of the life Naruto harbored was still easily hidden, but Naruto had begun to notice a change. Indeed, he was losing the hard, toned abdomen, and a scrutinizing eye would be able to detect the soft curve if he was studied from the side for a moment, but it was not altogether blatantly obvious, especially given his long, lean torso. Anyone else might think he'd just eaten too much.

Not that Naruto was complaining.

Naruto swallowed compulsively at the sudden contact, nervous. His eyes narrowed at Gaara's directness. When his friend did not remove his hand, Naruto shook his head, understanding washing over him. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it before.

"Don't worry about me too much, Gaara," he whispered. Gaara's hand dropped, fingers curling as his fist slowly rested as his side. He took a breath, eyes averted.

"I'm only trying to be here for you...as a friend." the Kazekage said firmly. Naruto smirked, but it was hollow, cynical.

"I want to be your friend," he said, "but it's obviously not what you want." Naruto's voice dropped, low and amused. He could hear Gaara's sharp intake of breath.

"Why are you in here?" Naruto asked, moving closer. Gaara hesitated, not speaking.

"Whatever you had to say, you could have waited until morning," Naruto pointed out. The Kazekage grimaced.

"I already said what I came here to say. As your friend, I have warned you personally. Next time, do not disobey me," Gaara growled, attempting to turn the tide of the conversation. It didn't work.

"Or what? You'll spank me?" Naruto taunted darkly. His white teeth glinted in the dark with his smirk. Gaara shook his head, but Naruto noticed the increased severity if his breathing. Short and rapid, compared to easy and relaxed. Gaara was nervous.

"That's enough, Naruto," Gaara replied lowly, but he made no move to leave or put distance between them. Naruto shook his head.

"Come on. Even I can see it, Gaara."

There was another silence.

"I would never act upon it, and it doesn't hinder my decisions on this mission concerning you, I assure you," Gaara said suddenly, and Naruto laughed. So there it was. Gaara had feelings for him.

It would never work, and Naruto's heart still ached for Sasuke. Probably always would, in some way.

"I don't think that's true." With that said, Naruto's hand suddenly and quickly snaked up the back of Gaara's neck, his fingers entwining in the red hair as he pulled Gaara forward to meet his lips in an aggressive kiss.

Later, Naruto would have to admit that the act of making his point had lasted a bit longer than he had intended.

Shock suddenly forgotten, Gaara wrapped his arms tightly around his friend, hands kneading Naruto's shoulders. Gaara sighed, a breathy moan slipping past his lips as he trailed his tongue teasingly along Naruto's bottom lip. Then suddenly the kiss broke, and in that moment, Naruto released his hold, ripping himself away from the contact, breathing quickly.

He wondered what he had done that for, doubt gripping him. Maybe he had taken that too far.

"Don't deny it," Naruto finished. "But I'm not your happy ending, Gaara. I'm sorry." He winced at the sharp clarity of his own words, the unspoken challenge loud in his tone. At first, the Kazekage made no move to leave. He stood frozen, in the middle of Naruto's tent.

For a moment, Naruto wondered if he had gone too far, if by doing this, he had ignited a fire, the prelude to a fight, a challenge of hearts. Finally, Gaara found his voice.

"And Sasuke is not, and never will be, yours," Gaara replied coolly, taking up the challenge. Momentarily rendered speechless, and fighting to smother his anger, Naruto shook his head, turning away.

"If you ever want a real family for that child, I'm always here, and most importantly, I'll always be here to love you." Gaara's words cut deep. Although more than likely not entirely meant to be so, it was still a low blow, and Naruto had to resist the urge to scream "Fuck you!" after his old friend as the Kazekage slipped out of the tent without another word.

Naruto sat down on his sleeping bag, head in his hands.

That night, he dreamed of Sasuke.

* * *

><p>Away from the dunes, near an oasis under the moon, the Leaf and the Sand stood ready to fight.<p>

"At ease, we won't fight you!" Temari barked, her fingers curled tightly around the handle of her iron fan. The Sand nin behind her were poised, ready to attack in one fluid movement without warning.

Shikamaru regarded the team thoughtfully, and he and his team relaxed, though only slightly. The subtle twitch of muscle as they forced themselves into a less threatening position was difficult to contain. Still, the tension was not erased, and like a shroud, it settled over the groups heavily.

"It is the wish of the Hokage-" Shikamaru began quickly, only to be interrupted as Temari's voice rose over his.

"It is the wish of the Kazekage that there be no conflict. I hope for the same outcome. I assure you, Naruto is well guarded. A mind as brilliant as yours, Shikamaru, should be aware of the possible outcomes of this mission should it go wrong." Her words hung suspended in the air, icy. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

At this moment, he found Temari annoying, as well as frustratingly attractive, with how she conducted the scene with ease and confidence, yet at the same time, was a terrible threat. Now, there was a woman with a head on her shoulders and a brain he could pick. A woman who could hold her own. Not that such women didn't exist in Konoha.

He shook the thoughts from his head.

"I am following the orders of the Hokage," he reminded her calmly. See? It was out of his hands. Orders. Don't blame him. Negotiating was so troublesome. Everyone always wanted to point fingers at the messenger and cut his throat first.

"Need I remind you," he continued, "that as a ninja of the Leaf, Naruto is ultimately our responsibility to protect, in disguise alongside the Kazekage or not. Your village is simply aiding in the process," he responded sharply.

"You're wearing thin our treaty," Temari shot at him. Shikamaru could feel a headache coming on.

"No. You're wearing thin our patience," Shikamaru replied coolly. Temari seemed to bristle in her anger.

"I know you can agree that these are dangerous times. It's only logical to protect your back as well as your front, if you can."

Temari chewed on his words a moment. "You might as well be painting a target on our caravan!" she burst out.

"If there isn't already one. In that case, you'll be glad for our company." Shikamaru said smoothly. Temari narrowed her eyes, searching for a hidden meaning. Before she could speak, Shikamaru's voice rose to greet her thoughts.

"The resistance group is in Saka, if you weren't already aware."

"It's come to our attention," Temari acknowledged. "But their resistance is a little more than futile. What are a bunch of soldiers with no nin or jutsu abilities compared to ninja? Even Naruto, in his condition, is stronger than their most able-bodied men," she pointed out. Shikamaru was quiet a moment. He noticed the troubled looks on his team and sighed.

_Thank you, Temari, for almost dishing out classified information_. He reigned in his irritation.

"You're underestimating the enemy," he said finally. Temari snorted.

"They're no real threat, and will easily be quelled."

"A carpenter ant to a hornet isn't a threat. But put a thousand ants to that same hornet, and it will surely die," Shikamaru pointed out flatly.

Temari scoffed. "You give them too much credit, Nara." A nin behind Temari snickered, and Shikamaru's mouth formed into a grim, hard line. He wasn't amused.

"For a ninja of your status, I would have expected more caution. Thinking like that will only get you killed one day." The words were meant to antagonize, they did. Temari scowled, looking furious. The words had evidently stung.

"So, what do you want?" she ground out, ready to end the banter and get down to the dirty.

Shikamaru didn't let his thoughts wander.

"Allow at least one of our second team to join the caravan as a precaution. The rest of my team should be near Suna's borders and not more than two days behind us. Namely, Sai would be my pick."

Temari nodded stiffly. "Only him. No more."

"Done."

"What about you?" Temari wanted to know.

Shikamaru shrugged. "We're going to trail the resistance group, but we'll be close by if you need us. We are, after all, assigned to watch over this caravan." With that, the meeting was over, and the ninja dispersed, melting into the night, becoming of the many loping shadows to run across the sand.

* * *

><p>The icy night wind comforted Akira. He sat on a boulder, still slightly warm from the final rays of the setting sun. It was a soothing contrast. Camp had been made, and most of the men were sleeping.<p>

Most. Akira could not sleep. He thought of the name again.

Was it true? Was he the one called Sasuke? The one feared and hated throughout the country? The thought made his stomach churn, and his blood boil. He bit the inside of his cheek at the sudden surge of anger.

All the kindness, peace, and laughter he had shared with the Yamagatas while they spoke of the war and their fears, and of this hated Sasuke and his Akatsuki; was it all some sick ironic joke that the killer they feared so deeply had sat at their table while they tended to and cared for him, while he ate their bread, and went off into the woods with their children?

Sasuke.

On his tongue, it felt foreign, tasted strange. Like copper. He thought of the old woman, eyes boring into him, alight with hatred as she died in his arms. For once, he wasn't thinking of the blue eyes from his dreams.

Burn in hell, you monster!

Norio had been watching him closely after that, like a hawk watches a mouse. But he was more darkly amused than anything. Akira as Sasuke? Please. But, Norio was aware of the power, of the ability to perform ninjutsu that Akira possessed. He desired it, it was easy to see.

Akira...no, Sasuke...was only a tool for the Brotherhood.

He snorted. He was no one's tool, no one's pawn. He wondered, idly, what it would be like to run off, towards the stars. To keep running north, towards the mountains, to run until he couldn't breathe and collapse in a heap. Would he arrive at a village, a city, the middle of nowhere at all? Could he live peacefully after all of this? He chuckled darkly.

It wasn't peace he desired.

Peace for Sasuke Uchiha had died long ago. No, he wasn't leaving the group. He wouldn't leave until he felt the Yamagatas had been avenged. He couldn't rest until the blood of the Akatsuki was slick on his sword. For a moment, the hatred was so consuming, it was almost frightening. He wanted to hurt them so badly. He thought of Eiji, and his nauseating anger cooled.

That's enough, Akira, Eiji had said when he'd caught Akira stabbing that monstrosity. Over and over and over. Akira closed his eyes. The memory made him shudder, made him feel like ants were crawling over his skin.

He shook it from his thoughts, wondering about Sasuke.

Thinking of himself as Sasuke was too jarring to process at the moment. He was too busy trying to feel hatred for the very side of the playing he was supposed to be playing on. Or so it was said. He sank backwards, sprawling on the warm rock, not minding the grooves and bumps that jutted into his back. He hooked his hands under his head, staring at the sky. He mind wandered, and he thought of the blond in the pub. Despite everything, the image of that young man hadn't left Akira, not for a second.

It was stupid, really. Almost desperately, Akira wanted to see him again, for no real reason. As he thought it, images flashed before him suddenly, in a sickening blur:

_Hair bright as sunlight; cool, cornflower blue eyes. Sun-kissed skin that tasted like a slightly salty piece of bliss; anger, so much anger, but he'd only been trying to protect him. No, come back, please! The garden. Staring at the memorial. There was something he'd wanted to say. Wished he had said to the blond a long time ago, because, what if, after tonight-?_

There was a sinking feeling in his gut, and he jackknifed into a sitting postion. A name came to his mind, unbidden.

_Naruto_.

He felt sick. Sick with trepidation-

A shout interrupted his thoughts, but it only barely sliced through the panic of the return of his memories. He turned, looking to the tents behind him. Another shout. A whoop. A celebration? More noise, more clatter. What was going on?

He rubbed at his eyes, still trying to deal with the pictures in his head. Then a figure tore his way out of the tent, found Akira and slapped him on the back.

"We get him! We got him!" the man shouted, laughing before taking off and leaving him stunned on the rock. Curious, Akira walked towards camp. He couldn't say why, but suddenly he was wary. Like frenzied ants, the men started to crawl from their tents, whispering in excitement.

"What's going on?" Akira (Sasuke, he tried to remind himself) asked. A new recruit looked up at him with a gap-toothed smile.

"You're not gonna believe it! You know, I thought it would be like this for a while, but I didn't think we'd to this point so fast-"

"Get the the point," Akira (Sasuke! he told himself) hissed. Chastised, the recruit rushed his next words.

"Norio knows where the Jinchuuriki is."

An icy hand of dread gripped Sasuke's heart. He blinked. How was that even possible? Norio wasn't supposed to actually be clever, or trained enough, or even networked enough to gain intel on something as top secret and guarded as that.

_The Nine Tails_, his thoughts whispered softly. Sasuke had believed the group would rally supporters, and face members of the Akatsuki. Not this.

Never this.

"How?" he demanded. The recruit shrugged.

"I don't really know. I heard someone talk about a renegade spy-"

Sasuke didn't wait for the rest. He turned away, stumbling towards Norio's tent. It was still coming back. All of it, in one horrifyingly quick rush. The moment in the woods. The romp at the inn. He had dressed like a woman. Naruto had laughed and said and _you thought it was a stupid jutsu_! He remembered the feel of Naruto's rough hand squeezing the fake breast, the way his thumb glided over the taut nipple. He'd thought of that night for a long time afterward. Naruto being pissy. Suigetsu laughing about it. Sasuke slicing off Fukasaku's tongue. He and Naruto were running. Naruto was demanding something of him he didn't want to give. Naruto was so angry at him...

Kabuto's fire. Naruto's kisses. Nights they spent talking. Just talking. Sasuke told him embarrassing stories from when he was little. Naruto had laughed, really laughed. Suigetsu's betrayal. Juugo was gone...where _was_ Juugo...?

Madara. The child...His promise to Fukasaku...Naruto had looked him in a way that made his stomach ache. He wanted Naruto to come back, listen to him, _please_...

Shit.

He was dizzy, he was going to vomit from the shock of it. He stumbled, swallowing thickly. He was going to be sick. The memories resurfacing were jarring. He took a breath, taking another step towards Norio's tent. He took a breath, calmed himself, and stalked towards it.

_Naruto is my business, and mine alone. I will deal with the responsibilities._

_You're no hero, Sasuke._

Suigetsu. Sasuke's hand shot out, grasping the rough, thick fabric of the tent flap, tearing it aside as he walked in. Suigetsu was dead, wasn't he? If the sorry bastard wasn't, he was wishing he was. He couldn't understand why it was making him feel so terrible. He stepped inside.

There was a genial, triumphant atmosphere in the tent, along with the smell of beer and sweat. Sasuke wrinkled his nose, eyes darting to the figure in the middle, but Norio's cool gray eyes had already found him. His lips stretched over dull teeth. The smile of a predator, a cat that had caught its mouse. Sasuke stared back poisonously.

"Akira!" Norio shouted. The men turned, clapping the youth on the shoulder. In the past few weeks, Akira's popularity had risen.

"How is it that you've found the Jinchuuriki?" Sasuke didn't miss a beat. The buzz of excitement dulled to a hum. Everyone was curious, and obviously, the truth hadn't been told. Norio's grin widened.

"A little birdie told me," he joked. The men chuckled appreciatively. He continued, "We're headed for Suna. This war ends now."

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow."And how are we going to end it?"

Norio's laugh seemed to ricochet off the tent's fabric, bouncing back ruthlessly on Sasuke's ears. His hand twitched, eager to inch towards his sword, but he kept himself still.

Norio looked smug. "I've already taken care of that. All you have to do is be there." '

Sasuke's temper flared.. "You planned this without me?" He hissed. Akira had been a member of the Brotherhood who'd been there, for every calculated step. For Norio to have excluded him made the alarm bells in his head sound off.

Casually, Norio poured himself more beer. The atmosphere in the tent changed, plummeting from triumphant and warm to ice, anger, and tension. Narrowed eyes were fixed on Sasuke.

No doubt they were thinking, _why's this kid being such an ungrateful little fucker_?

Norio shook his head. "Akira, Akira. Don't be a brat. You've done a lot for this group, but you haven't proved yourself that much, have you?" Norio asked lightly. Sasuke flushed.

_What is he planning? _he wondered wildly.

He imagined taking out the whole tent. Or at least stunning them all, grabbing Norio, and demanding for Naruto's whereabouts. Of course, he wasn't an idiot, and...he looked at the faces. Some of them he'd come to know. The thought of taking them out was strangely uneappealing. Stunning would work a lot better.

But Sasuke did nothing.

Scowling, he left the tent, mind whirring, heart racing. Once out in the dark, he ran for his tent.

What the hell was going on? How had Norio-

Sasuke tensed, body rigid as he reached his tent. Someone was coming-no, they had already arrived, and they were now _inside_ his tent. Fast as lightning, eyes scanning the suffocating blackness of his tent, his sword was drawn, and its wicked point stabbed Kabuto between his golden eyes.

The medic nin gasped and crumpled, but his body became a dozen hissing snakes, who quickly reformed the clone. Sasuke grimaced. It was only a clone. Kabuto chuckled.

"Go ahead, get it out of your system, but pull that again and I'll only disappear, and you won't be able to hear the plan that has already set in motion."

Sasuke froze, hesitating. He licked dry lips. "Go on," he urged quietly, still processing everything.

Kabuto grinned. "I've told Norio Naruto's whereabouts. I've cut Madara's safety net, all under his rotting nose." Kabuto chuckled. "The fool thinks I can't cross him. He might have played me for the army I provided, but he underestimated my thinking. Now all I want is to see him destroyed, even if it means my end."

Sasuke said nothing, only waited.

"Now here comes the fun part, Sasuke. Remember I told you that one day I would come for you? That one day, you would have to make a choice."

Sasuke tried to remember. He couldn't, not really, but he told himself not to be too intimidated. "I'm not going anywhere with you," Sasuke growled. Kabuto shook his head.

"Come with me, or Uzumaki dies," the clone said flatly. Sasuke snorted.

"You're underestimating me."

"No, Sasuke. You're underestimating me. I came more _prepared_ this time," the clone whispered. Sasuke said nothing, trying to decide if Kabuto was worth believing or not.

"Norio has already set the plan in motion. It is already done. There is nothing you can do." Kabuto's voice was quiet, confident. Sasuke hesitated now.

"If you come with me, you'll find out what I intend to do. Come with me, and we can destroy Madara together. We'll keep Naruto safe. Deny me, and you can watch your brats die. I won't say it again."

Sasuke's breathing quickened, nerves cutting cold right through him. "Norio and his men can't take ANBU," Sasuke said flatly. Kabuto chuckled.

"They don't have to, Sasuke," Kabuto assured him. Sasuke's heart picked up the pace. What had Kabuto done? Could it all be a bluff?

"You don't have a plan," Sasuke said coolly.

"Do you want to risk his life on the chance that it is?" the clone asked with a click of its tongue.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Sasuke snarled.

The clone sighed. "Very well. Cling to your miserable hope. At least Naruto's blood won't be on your hands...oh wait.. How tragic. It won't matter, in the end, you'll help me."

Sasuke's grip on his sword tightened.

"You have until dawn. I'm leaving a snake in your tent. Should you change your mind, touch it, and everything will stop." The clone disappeared, leaving Sasuke alone in the dark tent.

When Kabuto had gone, he found the snake hissing on his sleeping bag. He brought up his sword and in one fluid movement, beheaded it.

He took the snake, throwing it out to the sand outside.

Naruto wasn't going to die. Not on Sasuke's watch.

He looked to the moon. That night, he dreamed of Naruto.

* * *

><p>The sun was a pinprick of fire against the still dark dawn. The Sand caravan seemed to crawl instead of move forward. At least, to Naruto, it was slow. The wind raked cool fingers across the exposed skin on his face, blowing sand, and his eyes watered against its. The Sand ANBU traveled alongside, ranging ahead. However, Naruto stayed close, the camel he was riding on taking loping, lazy strides that threatened to lull him to sleep.<p>

Gaara had sent a summons to the Raikage, head of the Aliled Shinobi Forces. A decision had been reached among the Kages. The resistance group was going to be dealt with, and very soon. Now that they were in Sand country, Gaara had a leg up. A team had already been dispatched, sent toward the location Naruto had specified. They might not be there, but perhaps information could be gathered.

Suna was mere hours away.

The anticipation of finally being in a somewhat stable location made him fidgety. He was tired. A yawn bubbled in his throat. It was then, after the child squirmed (as was usual at this time in the morning) and aiming a kick to his ribs (Naruto couldn't decide if he liked it better than being kicked in the bladder, or not. The kid must have flipped), that Naruto realized how quiet the desert was. There was a pit in his stomach that couldn't be attributed to morning sickness. It had stopped happening a few weeks ago, anyway. He turned to the nin next to him.

"How far ahead have the others ranged?" he asked. The ANBU nin yawned pointedly, not concerned.

"Far enough. Relax. It's early, and as far as we know, we're not being trailed by enemy nin. It'll be fine. We'll be in Suna by noon," he assured Naruto. Unconvinced, but not feeling like pushing the issue, Naruto sighed. The ninja accompanying him babbled on blissfully as he recalled what awaited him in Suna.

"I can't wait. I haven't seen my wife in almost two months. We're newlyweds, you know. I had to leave for this mission a week after we said our vows. Gods, I miss her. She's so beautiful, you wouldn't believe-"

"I think I can," Naruto cut him off, chuckling a little, but not wanting to hear any more. The other man sighed a little dreamily.

"I can't wait," he repeated.

Naruto grinned at him, cracking a joke, and the ANBU laughed. Naruto looked ahead, wishing he could see the outline of the village against the lightening sky. Instead, he saw a three man cell running their way.

"How far ahead again?" Naruto asked. The other man, Noboru, didn't answer.

"Go inside with the Kazekage." Noboru ordered quietly. Naruto hesitated. "Tell him something has happened," Noboru added. Naruto complied.

* * *

><p>Noboru watched Naruto disappear inside the caravan, and he raced forward to meet with the team, a Sand nin, and two Leaf nin. A pale, black haired boy who was socially retarded (as the others had come to find) and a raucous, loud, shaggy fiend named Kiba. Although, Noboru had to admit that Kiba <em>was<em> a little fun. Just a little.

"What's going on?" Noboru demanded sharply.

"Resistance group," Kiba panted. "Attacked the ranging ANBU up ahead. Some kind of new fire-powered weaponry. We should avoid the original route. Go around, take the Kazekage's pass. It's pretty fucking nasty over there." At that moment, a blast rang out in the desert, echoing over the dunes.

"Dammit," Noboru said, and uneasily, he wondered what kind of weaponry this was. "How's the team handling it?"

Kiba waved him off. "They'll be fine. The weapons are a little unsettling, but I'm sure they can handle it. Just get the caravan to go around. I'm getting back over there. Sai's going to stay here with the caravan and Naruto." With that Kiba and the other Sand nin shot off, leaving Sai with Noboru. They hurried to the Kazekage in silence.

"What's going on?" Gaara poked his head out of a coach, hopping out of it and landing softly on the sand.

"The resistance group-" Noboru began, but Gaara cut him off.

"That much is obvious. How? How the hell did they find us?" Another blast fired in the distance. Gaara frowned.

"What is that?" the Kazekage demanded.

"They have some sort of mechanical fire-power, sir." Noboru answered.

Gaara swore. "I don't know how big this group is. Send for reinforcements, now! Call back the Leaf! If the resistance wants to attack us, they're igniting a whole new war." With a curt nod, Noboru sent a summons.

"Naruto, Sai," Gaara called. The blond was at his side in an instant, along with Sai.

"If, for some reason, anything goes wrong, get him out of here. Naruto, your hitai-ate, please." Gaara turned from Sai to Naruto. Naruto fidgeted, but kept his mouth shut. He glowered.

"If you're thinking of doing what I think you're doing, then no! I _won't_ do that-"

"I demand it. Now."

Naruto looked mutinous. Grudgingly, he took the protector out of a pocket in his cloak, tossing it at Gaara with a little too much force.

Gaara pretended not to notice as he caught it. He turned back to Sai. "It seems the resistance group is all camped out along our original route. We should be fine taking the Kazekage's pass, an alternate route to Suna not many are aware of. But, Tsunade and I have prepared for this. There is a rendezvous point for Naruto to be taken to should something happen."

"Of course." Sai answered calmly. He tugged on Naruto's arm, but the blond stayed rooted to the spot for a moment. Gaara met his gaze, and for a long moment, they stared at each other.

"Be careful," Naruto said finally. Gaara nodded mutely. He watched them bound away.

_Be safe_, Gaara thought, and looked to the horizon.

* * *

><p>Something was off. Something was very, very wrong. Sasuke was at his post along the caravan's route, sitting in a quickly dug trench. An old engineer dedicated to the Brotherhood's cause had gifted the Brothers with an invaluable weapon: a new technology that blasted metal shrapnel, or even the smallest shuriken Sasuke had ever seen, at incredible speed. The men had nicknamed it the fire lancer, because sometimes the projectiles shot forward with fire. Sasuke's was lying, unattended and unloaded, in his trench. He wasn't going to attack the caravan. But the thing was, there was no caravan to attack anyway.<p>

The recruits were fighting off ninja. The orders Norio had given were to open fire on the ranging ANBU scouting ahead. Opening fire on the Anbu would surely alert the caravan, Sasuke thought, frowning.

Then it hit him.

"SHIT!" Sasuke startled the younger boy beside him, clutching his fire lancer and looking nauseous. He practically pissed himself at Sasuke's curse.

"What? What?" he cried, gripping the fire lancer for dear life. Sasuke didn't answer. He raced ahead, looking for Huang. Norio was nowhere to be seen, as well as a few other notable recruits.

It made more sense now.

Sasuke found Huang a few hundred feet ahead. He ducked suddenly as a ninja using an Earth style ahead sent a shockwave towards the group, spraying sand and rock. The men hollered, bunking down, before Huang shouted, and they all rose in unison, firing.

Huang saw Sasuke first. Huang must have thought he was there to back them up, because he ran over to him, sliding into the trench beside him.

"Good thing you're here, Akira. Listen-"

"What's going on, Huang?" Sasuke demanded. He kept his identity as Akira, and had stayed with the group, simply in order to find Naruto and discover Norio's plans in order to exploit and stop them.

"Everything going as planned." The large man replied, raising an eyebrow at the question. Sasuke shook his head.

"Where's the caravan, Huang? Where is it? What are we doing here? We're losing men, we're going to lose if they call for reinforcements and we're not doing anything but firing-"

"Then you better do something about it," Huang answered, irritated. Sasuke paused.

"Tell me what's going on, Huang," Sasuke said, a hidden warning in his tone. The big man laughed.

"What are you going on about? Boy, I don't have to tell you shit-" He gasped suddenly, shaking, frozen, as he made eye contact.

"You're going to tell me, Huang." Sasuke whispered, Sharingan whirling. Huang swallowed, eyes unfocused.

"Tell me," Sasuke commanded.

"Fucking hell, you're-!"

"Shut up. Is Norio planning an ambush somewhere else? This is just a distraction isn't it? Where is he?"

Huang stiffened. Around them, more shots rang out, some screams, the ground rumbled as an earth ninjustu was activated again.

Huang quailed under the Sharingan and its influences. After a few minutes under it, he spilled his guts and pleaded for Sasuke to stop.

"Alright! Alright! He knew. Norio knew that the Kazekage had another route to take. No one really knows about. We can't possibly take on the Jinchuurki. He's...too strong. Couple blasts might not do the trick. We don't know what he can do, and the Kazekage has that sand thing. We can't take the Kazekage either. We...we planted mines on the alternative route to Suna, in the canyon. We won't need to do anything but shepherd them there. With an extra rock slide, we might actually kill someone." Huang's voice grated against his throat. Sasuke's eyes widened, and Huang crumpled to the sand, unconscious.

Sasuke darted away.

* * *

><p>AN: According to some Googling and Wikipedia (hahaha) the first guns were invented in China. They were called Fire Lancers.

Next chapter will the "Taming the Beast" After that, all chapters will be all BRAND NEW CHAPTERS AW YEAAUUHH.

:D

There are seven more chapter to read, lovelies, until you reach the end of the story.


	31. Taming the Beast

_Taming the Beast_

To Sasuke, it seemed the only sound for miles was his breath catching in his throat as he ran over dry, hot sand. Rumbles of the far-away fight echoed through the dunes, but fell upon deaf ears.

The war continued to rage.

All the while, Sasuke ran. He thought of Naruto. He thought of Madara. He thought of the Brotherhood and Norio, and how both wars were ripping apart the country. Men now watched ninja through wary eyes, spawned horrific tales of Naruto's Jinchuuriki powers and its evils around campfires. New rivalries were taking foot, and Madara continued to plan a grand scheme for a bitter and equal world.

And despite this fearsome evil, the world stood divided, despite this new storm that threatened to blow away both ways of life until all that remained of the world were easily forgotten memories.

Sasuke remembered, back when he was Akira, how Norio had pulled him aside one night, before his induction into the newly formed Brotherhood.

_"You know who you're fighting for, right kid? You know why this is right?"_

And Sasuke had remembered nodding, remembered saying I want in. And Norio had smiled like a cat with a mouse in its teeth, and led Sasuke into the tent, where he pledged loyalty in front of tired men keeping themselves walking with only a burning hatred for the ninja arts.

_Are you prepared to fight for our world?_

_Yes_, Sasuke had answered.

_Are you willing to kill the enemy, no matter his face, for the lives of the ones you love?_

_Yes_.

Sasuke skidded to a halt and quickly bounded into another direction as sand came barreling down a dune towards him; evidence of the fighting that pestered the surrounding landscape.

_Are you willing to place your faith in us, fight for us, and call us your brothers?_

_Yes_.

And so the Brotherhood began.

The weapons came from an engineer Norio had befriended back in a small village Sasuke could no longer remember the name of. 'Waterfall' or something similar. The old engineer was a brilliantly sharp man; a man who had been scarred by the strife of the war. He had been secretly working on the weapons to protect himself and his seven year old daughter, Miki, his now only living relative. His wife and three other children had been murdered the previous year during a raid.

_"I'm not going to stand here like a fool and let them kill me!"_ Sasuke remembered the engineer saying as he blasted the first real shot of the prototype he'd made.

The engineer had been left to wander, alone in his bleak solitude as he cowered in the shadows of his closet and covered his crying daughter's ears at night to shield her from the sounds of the Akatsuki. They had been living in a war-torn village claimed by the enemy. No way in, no way out. Then Norio and Sasuke had discovered him, rescued him, the Brothers had brought up the resistance. The engineer had lived to tell the tale of the day he'd seen his family's murderers slain by his own hands.

Sasuke respected the engineer, and knew his pain. He remembered his vows to the Brotherhood. The end of his ceremony. The men saying _we are pleased to call you our brother_. And the old engineer had been there, smiling as he said the words.

A strange hollowness seemed to drill a hole in his chest. Each word he'd vowed to the Brotherhood felt burned into Sasuke's heart for the sake of the Yamagatas. Now, however, a new name also branded his thoughts, fixing his mind with another purpose.

_Naruto_.

Sasuke could see the engineer and his tent up ahead. He was loading a wagon with more weapons and ammunition to bring to the men. Under the bright heat, the distance rippled and shimmered, distorting the engineer's shape. As he unloaded more guns into the wagon, he looked up, shielding his eyes from the relentless sun as he peered out across the sand to make out the figure fast approaching.

Sasuke stopped running, coming to a grinding halt, his sword glinting in the sun as he embedded it in the sand. The engineer waved. It was a cheerful gesture, an unwitting one. He didn't see the danger.

Sasuke respected the engineer. From the distance, he was grateful that he could not see the engineer's face. The seals came quickly, and Sasuke didn't dare to think as he hand shot out to touch the handle of his sword. He only acted. He liked to think that the engineer, if in Sasuke's position, would have done the exact same thing if it had been Miki in Naruto's position. He, too, would have taken out the one thing the enemy had that could have hurt her, killed her.

The sword pulsed, and a ripple shot through the sand, darting towards the tent and wagon like a snake. It was better this way. The engineer's quarters sagged in the middle of the desert, not too close to Norio's camp in order to avoid any possible link. The weapons were precious to Norio, and he felt it unwise should word break out, for the engineer to make camp along with him. Any men in the area were broken off from the rest.

It would be awhile before the others realized what had happened if no one was left standing, and by then, it would already be over.

Sasuke turned, the wagon and tent going up in flames with a bang the instant he looked away. He could feel a rush of blistering heat as it hissed past his cheek, raking fire-hot, vengeful fingers through his mussed black hair. He relished the burn.

It felt like repentance.

The pass wasn't far now. He calculated that he had only had about seven more miles, and by these calculations, he should reach it before the Sand caravan, which held his precious cargo. He had only ran about three more miles, with no thoughts to occupy him but the whisper of a name that coursed through his mind, when he saw it. In the distance, stark against the brightness and heat, A shadow, cloaked in black, stood eerily still. Sasuke skidded to a stop and his heart jumped into his throat.

Before him, stoic as a statue, and just as dead as one, was none other than Itachi Uchiha, his own brother, believed deceased.

Was deceased.

Numb, but nonetheless wary, Sasuke stared into the paper-white face of his brother. To see Itachi defiled, violated, his body used against his spirit's will, infuriated him and washed out the rest of the world for a moment. The corpse lifted his face towards Sasuke, eerily locked on his form.

There were no eyes, Sasuke realized with a sick jolt. Nothing but twin black caves of nothingness that promised a soulless jail, an abyssal hell that swallowed hearts whole. This was not his brother. A deep fury licked at his insides.

"You did not answer me."

Sasuke reeled at the sound of the voice, acting quickly, but his fire did not singe its target. Kabuto deftly dodged, and remained untouched. His crystal lenses glinted in the daylight.

"Is this your answer?" Kabuto questioned, looking anything but disappointed. There was no anger; only an unrestrained maniacal glee that split Kabuto's face in two with a wholesome grin. Sasuke's grip tightened on his sword, and his mind whirred with the next possible moves, the most likely escape routes. The Sharingan whirled, pivoting back and forth, trying to decide which was the most imminent threat: The corpse, or the snake. Only one thing was certain when it came to the corpse; without the eyes, genjutsu wasn't needed.

It was the corpse that attacked first.

"Watch them die then. You know, it might have turned out alright if you had only come with me. You'll regret this course of action, Sasuke. I might have let you go after I was done with you and allowed you to be with your unnatural little family. You'll come to me willingly when they're gone and you have nothing left to live for. I will only say one thing: I have the power to destroy Madara Uchiha, and you're passing it up. For a man trying to protect the one Madara wants, I would have thought you wiser." Kabuto vanished, like a mirage that rippled and twisted away under the glare of the sun once one came too close.

The corpse was forming seals and Sasuke had little time to dwell on Kabuto's words, and even with the added senses of the Sharigan, the attack was well calculated and sudden. Sasuke leapt away. His eyes watered as a tongue of flame burned a patch of skin on his cheek. He rolled, starting off at a run once his feet hit the sand at the right angle and he had gained a little momentum. He dodged another fireball, and shot off his own.

Itachi's corpse was fast, but his billowing black sleeve was on fire. The corpse paused, hesitated for some reason. Sharingan swirling, Sasuke quickly scanned his surroundings for the object of Itachi's interest, but found nothing. He had to get away.

This was a diversion, obviously. Kabuto had placed Itachi in front of Sasuke in order to stall, to inflict emotional distress upon his target.

The best option was not to fight, but to flee. It was a loathsome decision, but the scales tipped in Naruto's favor. Sasuke darted away, Sharingan still casting frantic glances about in order to best perceive what would happen next. He detected the subtle wave of power that signaled a jutsu, and he tensed in response, having only a fleeting moment to prepare. A fire technique had been activated, a wall of fire shooting upwards from the sand. The fifteen foot high wave of deadly heat rose to meet Sasuke so suddenly he felt the heat as he reeled back. He guessed what would happen next, and it all happened in an instant.

The wall of fire rushed forth with blinding speed. With a crackle and flare, Sasuke conjured up his own fire. In a great, blazing ball of heat and great force, the fire encompassed him. Spinning the ball of fire around his entire body with just enough force, he managed to pass through the burning wall. He gritted his teeth against the burn. It was in this moment, while engulfed by flame, that Sasuke made his move. He had a plan, and he was relying on the theory that the corpse could only detect initial sensations and movement.

Free from the fire, the gasp that threatened to leave his mouth once he gulped for air incinerated on his lips, no sound but a frantic whoosh of breath slipping past. It was all the time he had to regain some composure from the deadly heat. The corpse was on him in an instant, drawn to the movement. It had been waiting, and so had Sasuke.

A specter of death, the corpse flew forward, unleashing shuriken, which were sidestepped and deflected. Sasuke sent another fireball blast towards the corpse, but it easily sliced through it with more fire, leaping through the inferno. Then, cold, dead fingers were wrapped around Sasuke's pale throat with bruising, crushing, strength.

Sasuke vanished once the crimson eyes rolled in the back of his head, and from beneath the shifting soft earth, the real opponent burst through in a tower of falling sand. With a swift swing of his sword, Itachi's head rolled.

Sasuke looked on at the sight bleakly, a heaviness weighing down upon him. The sight of his brother had reopened scabbed over wounds. He had been correct, he thought glumly, but he felt himself hesitate, watching Itachi's corpse crumple into sand. It hadn't been as tricky as he suspected.

He was right to have been wary.

The earth rumbled, and a loud, reverberating _boom_ pierced the stillness of the desert. Sasuke's head snapped to the west, and his stomach dropped, eyes narrowing as they scanned their surroundings.

It was the pass.

The caravan had reached the pass before he had defeated Itachi. Cursing, he bounded forward, realizing that the entire diversion had been carefully planted. There was such simplicity to the corpse's movements, that Sasuke had been forced to think more deeply, to expect and believe more; but that had been the trick, hadn't it? It had done its job and stalled him for the right amount of time. Cursing again, heart pumping a mile a minute, Sasuke raced across the sand, eyes open and searching for any possible trouble along the way.

He saw nothing.

The canyon pass came into view. A mushroom cloud of smoke and sand slowly sank back down to earth. He ran, jumping over rubble, pushing past juts of rock that had been blasted from the canyon walls and mounds of displaced sand. A mile ahead, the caravan lay in ruin, crushed and blown away. Norio had gone to great lengths to ensure that the caravan would be destroyed. It was like torching a spider after stepping on it. Using the canyon on the alternative route, Norio had upped his chances of actually killing someone important with a blast and a rock slide to follow.

Again, Sasuke didn't trust his thoughts, and carefully tuned them out, trying to ignore a rush of cold panic. He approached the ruin. Bodies lay strewn about the rock, pools of dark blood seeping into the surrounding sand and coloring the rubble. Sasuke grimaced, kicking aside a faceless corpse and wading into the destruction.

Groans and whimpers began to rise from a few of the living. One nin began to scream as consciousness overtook him, and Sasuke didn't blame him. Over seventy percent of the nin's body was charred black. He ignored the screams and continued to search.

He kicked aside flayed, wooden boards that had to have belonged to the Kazekage's wagon. Leaping over the mound of a camel's body, he approached what looked like the remains of the Kazekage's coach. A tuft of blond hair caught his attention, poking out from underneath a splintered pile of wood. Sasuke's blood ran like ice through his veins. Slowly, Sasuke reached out, throwing off the board. He could hear his heart in his ears, feel the pulse behind his eyes.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The hair color was right, even the hitai-ate, but it wasn't Naruto.

"Not...here..." came a muffled gasp. Sasuke's eyes swiveled around towards the noise, creeping out from behind the rubble to his right. The first thing he noticed was the dull gleam of another Hidden Leaf hitai-ate. A pale hand appeared from under splintered, blackened boards, and a body shook itself free of the debris with difficulty. Sasuke recognized the nin.

Sai.

Sai groaned, crawling forward, his left side bleeding profusely, having been impaled by a stray wooden splinter. His legs were burned, Sasuke realized, the leather pants dotted with a few singed holes revealing red flesh. Painfully, the Hidden Leaf ninja rolled onto his back on top of a rock, hissing through his teeth, grimacing and even more ghostly pale than usual. A strange smile flickered across his face.

"He's not here...had him...go...another team..." Sai rambled, grimacing in pain, shivering despite the heat.

"Where, then?" Sasuke demanded, regaining his cool composure. Sai's eyelids fluttered, his chest rising and falling with ragged gasps. A dark eye focused on Sasuke's form, and a grim smile tugged at Sai's pale lips.

"Like I...would tell...you." Sai managed to croak, chest heaving with the effort to breathe through his pain. "Is...the Kazekage...alive?" he wanted to know. Sasuke frowned. There was no other sign of life outwardly, but the Sharingan proved otherwise.

"Yes." Sasuke could see Gaara, entrapped in his own dome of hardened sand, but either the Kazekage had been knocked out cold, or he was lying still as possible, listening to Sasuke's every word.

The thought unnerved him.

"Where?" Sasuke repeated. Sai only shook his head, and fell silent. Without a word, Sasuke reached out, yanking Sai into a sitting position. The Hidden Leaf nin yelped. He shook his head, but Sasuke saw his eyes slide to the left as his head tilted back.

Sasuke followed the gaze, out to the west.

"I never realized...how blue the sky was." Sai's breathing grew shallow, and Sasuke released the nin from his hold, allowing Sai to crumple on a slab of rock.

"One cannot find the fox without first finding its burrow." Sai grew quiet then. Sasuke left him. The Leaf nin wasn't dead, and back up couldn't be too far away. He'd have to hightail it if he didn't want to be discovered. Sasuke mulled over the cryptic words as he raced towards the glare of the sinking sun to the west.

* * *

><p>Naruto fell to his knees. The sand felt red-hot under the roughened palms of his hands. A growl bubbled in his throat, low and deep and angry. His breaths were shallow, ragged, and caught in his throat. Something ached, but he couldn't tell what he'd sprained or broken. His fingers bit into the sand like claws searching for purchase.<p>

"Surrender. There's nothing left to fight for. You can't fight anymore, and you've already had your bursts of strength. Will you risk the precious life of your unborn child for your own stubbornness? Or are you just that selfish?"

Slowly, Naruto raised blue eyes that flickered crimson. He gritted his teeth. Before him, Kabuto smiled, his pearly scales glinting in the after-light. Carnage was strewn around the dunes. Naruto's escorts and a few of Kabuto's specialty curse mark monsters. One of which was still bleating as it bled from the hole Naruto's rasengan has gouged in its side.

A cramp seized Naruto's middle. A seed of doubt began to blossom in his thoughts, but he quickly culled it. He shook his head as his breath caught. He saw red when he blinked. Kabuto kicked aside the body of the medic nin from the Hidden Leaf to stand before Naruto. In anger at the clear disrespect for the bodies of the fallen, Naruto shot up and swiped at Kabuto.

It would have been a nicely aimed, and powerful, hit had it not met with Kabuto's serpentine defenses. With lightning speed, a snake shot out of Kabuto's sleeve, coiling itself in a vice-like grip around Naruto's arm and staying his clenched fist. It squeezed, and Naruto watched his fingers turn purple.

He was beginning to form a link in his mind, between how the snakes and Gaara's sand. How the sankes might work and how Gaara's sand was difficult to pierce.

He reared back, reaching for a kunai with his other hand and beheading the white snake in one clean swipe, but another shot forward, and another. He slashed. Blood got in his eye. The snakes' fangs dripped with deadly venom and the hissing filled his ears until it felt like the only sound in the world besides his heartbeat.

The cramp returned, and the pain seemed to trickle down to his knees, which shook. He told himself he was alright. It was nothing. He didn't waver, didn't stumble.

Kabuto was still smiling. Waiting. "I can't say I'm surprised at your endurance. But even someone like you tires." Another snake, and Naruto's fist collided with its head, knocking it sideways. His chakra levels were depleting despite his link to the Kyuubi, and he ran the risk of overexerting himself if he produced more clones. The way he was now...it was difficult. In his head, he could hear the Kyuubi cackle and rumble.

_Let me out. Let me out if you want to protect it_. But it there was a chime of dangerous laughter to its voice, and Naruto knew; no matter how well chained the fox was, it would never team up with him if it didn't have an ulterior motive, a chance of escape.

"You should relax. Keep fighting like this, and you might do something you'll regret," Kabuto said through his wall of snakes. Naruto barely registered his voice beneath the fox's chants of _let me out, let me out, let me out._

Kabuto chuckled. "I suppose you didn't have much of a choice in the matter, though..But Sasuke did."

Naruto faltered, just for a moment. Sasuke's name was like a lance through his brain. A snake wrapped his throat suddenly. Squeezed until he thought his eyes would pop out of their sockets and his windpipe would snap. He stabbed it repeatedly until he found a weak spot, gagging when it released him.

"All this time he's allowed you think he's dead, and he's been running around alive. He led you to believe that when he was alive, he had changed somehow. But he never did, did he? It's because Sasuke lives only for himself, his own goals. Not for you. Not for that." Kabuto nodded towards Naruto's middle.

_What do you have to lose? He's baiting you. He wants you to fight until you can't stand, to provoke you and taunt you. It won't stop. Rest, and let me out! NOW, WHELP, _the demon howled.

Naruto said nothing. He tried to steady his breathing, keep the boiling heat from rising. He stared at a lizard watching him from underneath a thorny brush. Tried to sort through his thoughts.

Gaara had reacted on a hunch after Naruto had left with Sai; the Kazekage had played it safe, like any sensible leader in charge of protecting such precious cargo would. Naruto couldn't say he was easily able to stomach the thought of another nin posing as him in the shadows, but he followed orders, albeit grudgingly and after a few heated words. Disguised as ANBU, he and Sai had met up with a small team composed of the medic ninja, and a few protectors. Sai had gone back to aid the Kazekage's caravan after receiving word about the worsened state of the fighting, figuring he could stop any followers. Naruto had his group had started to make their way towards a rendezvous point where they were supposed to meet up with Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, and Chouji, whose assignment was to escort Naruto out of the area safely. They would take a different route through Suna.

They never made it.

Dark jutsus Naruto had never seen before were used. Snakes and experiments shot out of the sand like weeds, grabbing ankles, shooting venom. In less than ten minutes, half of the team had already fallen due to the deadly poison without much of a fight. Naruto had no choice but to enter the fray, not that he'd been reluctant anyway, to protect those around him, the one inside him. With each man or woman who fell, Naruto felt a little more control ebb away, and a little more desperation take its place.

It had been ruthlessly calculated, this attack, yet the fangs steered clear of Naruto's skin, yet the monsters dodged him and taunted him rather than aim to kill him as Naruto fought to protect those around him.

And the Kyuubi laughed. Snarled and thrashed so violently, Naruto could feel his teeth chatter from the reverberations in his head. Constantly, he fought two battles. He grew weary not tapping into the Kyuubi's formidable chakra, and still it laughed while his comrades fell and he sank to his knees.

The name Sasuke cut him again like a razor's edge, made him wince and his stomach churn. He thought of the man in the pub who'd seemingly not known him. Yet, Naruto had known. He'd known all along. He had a way of knowing things while hoping there was another side, another point he hadn't seen that would make it all clear and reasonable, instead of vicious and cruel.

"You really thought he was dead, didn't you? To think, all this time he's been alive, and he's been hiding from you. All you do is slow him down, hinder him. You forget who Sasuke Uchiha really is, Naruto. You think you see something salvageable, a glimmer of the young man you thought you knew once. But that young man? He died a long time ago. I was with him those three long years he trained, and I can assure you there's nothing there."

Kabuto's fingers grabbed his chin roughly, made Naruto look him in the eye. Naruto could feel the heat rise. It made him feel physically ill to shove it right back down, like he was swallowing a hot coal. It was unbearable, so unbearable, he thought he might scream from the burn...

_Don't lose control._

How? He'd asked his mother's apparition once as he dreamed. _How did you do it? How did you not lose yourself when it's so, so easy to give in? Why is it so much harder?_

"There's nothing left for you, Naruto. Madara will capture you. Your child is as good as dead. Your comrades have fallen, your village will soon be in ruin. But, there's still a way out. A way to escape it all. You know what I'm talking about. Only one thing you can possibly do now to ensure Madara doesn't get what he wants. Or will you lie here in defeat and wait for him like a coward?"

The words cut deep, sliced through Naruto better than the snake's poison. They were meant to dismantle, manipulate, consume. Kabuto wanted Naruto to lose control. He was suggesting Naruto end it all here. He was suggesting Naruto face his own death.

Naruto shook his head mutely, still struggling internally, shaking so violently from keeping the Kyuubi at bay that he groaned and his teeth chattered.

"Wouldn't it be the most humane escape?" Kabuto whispered. "Wouldn't it be better on your own terms? Wouldn't it be sweeter to leave it all behind? The ultimate protection. The ultimate way to ensure Madara never lays a finger on your child. Or your village."

It's not right, Naruto thought suddenly, wearily. Kabuto was coaxing the fox out of Naruto, the anger, the Nine Tails. Why? Why would Kabuto see Madara plans foiled if he was on the side of the Akatsuki? It didn't make sense. But it was working, and Naruto cried out against it.

No. It couldn't end here. He struggled, cried out.

A snake coiled around his neck, its forked tongue tickled his ear. Naruto felt the child squirm as his middle tightened and cramped once more. He couldn't lose. He couldn't tire, not this time. More snakes held him to the ground.

"You don't want to do this, Naruto. You don't want this suffering. This pain."

Naruto clenched his teeth against the Kyuubi's whispers: _I won't lose. Let me out. Free me from these chains you've coiled around me. Free me. It's not so hard._ The voice of the Nine Tails had softened, low, velvety, enticing. It almost sounded sweet, but Naruto still knew better, somehow, somewhere, in his mind.

In a sweeping gesture, Kabuto acknowledged the dead team. "They're dead because of you, and you will always mourn them. But, you could die right now, and who will mourn you, when there is no one left to side with you?"

Naruto shook his head, fighting against his living restraints, and the demon inside. Suddenly, Naruto growled, sensing another presence. Someone far more sinister.

"Oh, Kabuto, is this the best you could do to thwart me?" Suddenly the desert was as still as death. The lizard under the brush Naruto was trying to concentrate on scurried away in fear.

"Madara," Naruto growled, his voice grating against his throat, raising red eyes to look upon the masked man on the darkening horizon, a chip of shadow that couldn't be chased away. Madara was alone. Naruto noticed Kabuto's mild surprise, and anger.

"What are you trying to do now? Coax the fox out of the boy and ruin my unborn vessel? Juvenile. Did you think you could outdo me in such a simple way? Although, it was a good shot, and it almost escaped me. You were brilliant. Especially with giving that brutish rebel the mines and giving him the intel he needed to blow the Kazekage's caravan away. But it didn't work, did it? You expected Naruto to be killed from it. But your target walked out of your trap unharmed. Now here you are, desperate and at wit's end, so you're stalling and trying to tickle the Jinchuuriki's dangerous side as a last resort."

The snakes disappeared, and Naruto slumped to the sand with another dull cramp, but he kept a wary eye on Madara's approaching figure.

"Stop toying with me, Kabuto. It's no longer fun, and you are beginning to infuriate me." Madara was closer now, materializing before Kabuto like a cloud of dancing smoke, his hand curling around Kabuto's wrist in a strong grip.

"Stop this," Madara whispered, softer now, swiveling a red eye on Naruto and turning his attention away from Kabuto.

They stared at each other for a moment, Naruto and Madara, daring the other to move. Naruto felt frozen. Uselessly, he curled an arm around himself, as if to try and shield what lay hidden beneath his skin. Again, Madara disappeared, reappearing before Naruto, kneeling before him, so close that Naruto could make out the different fiery shades in his one eye.

"Well, look at you," Madara breathed, "The great Naruto Uzumaki, Conqueror of Pain, on his knees before me! Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Go on, get up, boy. On your feet, now! _Challenge_ me. Or will you flounder and keep me laughing as you try to kill me, like your father did? Oh, I did enjoy that dance."

Naruto grimaced, infuriated at the mention of his father, but managed to keep still, willing his chakra to replenish. He stared into the depths of Madara's eye, silently challenging him.

"This meeting is premature, Naruto Uzumaki, but it's no matter. Do not struggle. It's not worth it, and you're in no condition for it."

Behind them, Kabuto remained still, expressionless save for the grim line of his mouth. Madara turned to him.

"Don't you see?" He spread his arms wide in a sweeping gesture. "Can you both not _see_ what we can all accomplish together?" Madara looked back to Naruto when Kabuto remained silent.

"Think for a minute, boy! What kind of world are you trying to save? A hateful one that would sooner have burned you at the stake than try to figure out who you are? You were never important until you saved their miserable little lives!"

Naruto looked away, but the faces of those who'd spurned him sprang unbidden to his thoughts. There was a dark truth to Madara's words, and Naruto hated it.

"You could live in a different world, both of you. A world where you are revered and accepted. A world where everyone is equal. A world without judgement," Madara pointed to Naruto's belly, "Some place safe, for the little one you hold dear. Would you sooner release your child into this mad, mad world? It would be the bane of everyone's eye. Would you sooner let them taunt you, hurt you, or hurt your child because they can't understand it?"

We could live in such a world. This new world will be one where no one is ostracized. A place where everyone has a home without having to feel the searing pain of human prejudice or of this unholy, tainted world. But you would rather thwart me. You would destroy this heaven that could be your home. You would rather subject your own to hate and spite-"

"You're fucking insane if you think for a second I'm going to listen to you," Narut cut him off.

"But you're already listening, and you already know. What are you fighting for, Naruto Uzumaki? What is the purpose of this bloodshed? Why fight me, why die at my hand, when you could sooner join me and live in my world? Those who love you have already abandoned you, or died for you. But I...I will not die, Naruto, nor will I abandon my subjects."

Silence reigned. Somewhere, a jackal laughed and yipped. Naruto fought against the searing wave of anger within.

"When the world is war-torn, there is no such thing as honor. Only survival and victory. Once you understand that, you and your child may have a better chance of survival. What will you do, boy? Your comrades have fallen. Your peers have turned their backs on you. Your lover has fled, or is rotting in a ditch somewhere. Your parents are dead. You have no one to fight for, and no one to fight for you. When I come for you next, you will come willingly. As for you, Kabuto, I'm afraid I will leave you to experience your own demise. It's a pity." Madara began to ripple, but not before Kabuto stumbled forward, hysterical last words slipping from his lips while his eyes darted between Naruto and Madara.

"You think you know everything, Madara! But you don't! You've spent all these years hating Hashirama, vowing vengeance against the one you believed to have betrayed you and sold you out to the clan! You have hated the village that condemned you! All these years you've hated and plotted, and it was your own clan who worked against you, who forced you out!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Naruto stayed on his knees, head hung, teeth clenched, shaking against the Kyuubi's rage as it began to boil over his skin. Kabuto stood still. Madara stared, Sharingan whirling, and looked to Naruto before turning away.

"Goodbye, Kabuto." He faded away into oblivion, and Kabuto tried to run.

Naruto saw red. The whole world was a rosy blur. The heat was rising off of his skin in crimson wisps of deadly chakra. He could feel the pain of his body bending, as if he was folding in on the baby like a living shield. He could feel the last vestiges of his human thoughts begin to fade into something meaningless and barbaric. He wanted to scream, but he grunted instead as he felt fire course through his veins.

He began to rise, shakily at first, leaping in a rage towards Madara's disappearing figure. Claws swiped at the air. He remembered seeing the gleam of the red heat dance off of Kabuto's pearly scales in a shimmer, like dying light. Naruto remembered the black eyes widening in surprise, the glasses falling to the sand, when a fountain of red erupted from Kabuto's neck with a single, deadly slash of a whip-like tail as it sprouted.

He remembered feeling like he was splitting in two.

"Look at me!" someone, somewhere, was saying, shouting. Naruto couldn't tell who.

_Hold on_, he remembered thinking to the child, _Just hold on, and we'll both be alright._

It was the last thing Naruto thought before the world began to rumble and the sky turned white.

* * *

><p>Sasuke's skin was burning. Beneath him, Naruto bucked and snarled, and still, Sasuke held on. He gripped the other teen's wrists, acting like an anchor. Naruto cracked a feral grin, flashing pearly fangs.<p>

"Such sinful eyes." It wasn't Naruto's voice that slipped past his lips.

"Look at me," Sasuke growled. Naruto snapped at him, clawed at him, twisted and roared with an inhuman voice. The heat was excruciating. The palms of Sasuke's hands were beginning to blister, his clothing was singeing away. Naruto's skin was also burning, seeming to slough off in some areas to reveal bright spots of pure, concentrated red chakra. His eyes were turning from crimson to abyssal black pits.

It was far too easy for Naruto to lose control like this. The seal must have continued to weaken. Sasuke wasn't trained to handle this, and neither was Naruto. Desperately, Sasuke held on, and the chakra continued to bubble and seep off of Naruto's skin.

"Let go, Uchiha, before I kill you."

Sasuke's grip tightened, and he winced. "'I'm not letting you go." Naruto twisted again, and a claw raked against Sasuke's side, cleanly slicing through skin. He grunted, thinking fast.

Sinful eyes, sinful eyes.

It was no secret that the Nine Tails had bared witness to the powers of the Sharingan before, and so Sasuke, desperate and burning, went on a hunch.

He activated the Mangekyo, which in turn caused Naruto to thrash more wildly beneath him. The bubble of a second tail began to form in defense. The Kyuubi was desperate now, working fast to ensure Naruto was lost to its power.

It was trying to beat Sasuke to the finish line.

Sasuke's Sharingan began to spin, and Naruto howled.

* * *

><p>The world slowly came into view in stages. Fuzzy, hazy pictures and sounds. A streak of color there, the muffled weight of footsteps on sand there. The fire-bright glare of the setting sun. Naruto could taste blood and dirt in his mouth.<p>

The child was motionless within him, and the muscles around his middle ached. _Shit_, his skin stung...

Naruto's eyes snapped open, only to drink in the darkness of the desert. A wind rattled past, and Naruto's teeth clenched. Even its gentle fingers seemed to rake claws across his sensitive skin.

A small fire popped into view to his right, slowly turning to embers. Where am I? he wondered. Who was here with him? He remembered Kabuto, and Madara...

He bolted upright, breathing hard, scanning the inky desert wildly for the villains he remembered.

"Madara's not here," a voice from the shadows said. Naruto's breath hitched. His eyes widened when he took in the cloaked figure who came to stoop beside him. The cloaked man had deft fingers, working quickly and gently tugging at the dirty bandages around patches of Naruto's burned skin. Naruto noticed the man's palms were heavily bandaged. The figure raised his head, and Naruto went cold, even with the fire in his veins.

"Sasuke..."

The jackals laughed, the bats in the cave ahead sang, the desert sighed under the fingers of the wind, and Naruto only stared.

* * *

><p>A;N As promised, here are the chapters titles for the next (and final) remaining chapters. See if you can let your imagination run and guess what's next:<p>

Ch. 32: Warhead

Ch. 33: Snake

Ch. 34: The Ninja Way

Ch. 35: The Temple of Izanami

Ch. 36: The Birth of A New Age

Ch. 37: Epilogue: The Wanderers

I will post "Warhead" tomorrow sometimes. Thanks everyone for reading! Also, quick note: When I edited this, some of the story's scenes did change. Sorry if this caused any confusion :)

Also, there will be other PoVs the next coming up chapters, but don't get discouraged! There _will _be SasuNaru goodness, we just need other PoVs so you guys know what's going on and what's making the story take these other turns.


	32. Warhead

_Warhead_

It was getting worse, the Fire Lord noticed with mounting apprehension. The meeting was slowly moving downhill, if the accusing eyes of his peers had anything to say about it. The Lords of all five great nations were present, as well as a few from smaller countries, such as the Grass.

They were expecting something of him. Something great and knowledgeable and ultimate.

In the large circular conference room in the Fire Palace, kings and ambassadors had gathered. They watched the Fire Lord with eyes like jackals, gleaming too brightly, starved for news. They had made the treacherous journey through war-stricken lands after a general consensus to meet in Fire Country. And finally, two long weeks after the Brotherhood's bombing near Suna and the near capture of the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki (the news had been enough to nearly put the Fire Lord in sepsis from mere fright alone), the Council had gathered.

The Fire Country, after all, held the largest hidden village: the Hidden Leaf.

Here, in the palace's conference chamber, the Fourth Great Ninja War was coming to its head.

Heads turned, voices murmured, and at the head of the large stone table swallowing up most of the palace's chamber, the Fire Lord sat rigidly in his chair, fingers laced in his lap. Beneath his robes, the heat from the room was sweltering (or maybe it was just a case of nerves. The Water Lord was watching him like the Fire Lord was a chunk of bloody meat waiting to be ripped into), and a drop of sweat trickled down his brow.

A cold fear was squeezing his heart. The Fire Lord was no stranger to war. He had given orders and pondered over maps and visited the Hidden Leaf and sent out special forces. He had awarded exceptional ninja who had been valiant in battle. He had chosen a Hokage once so far in his new reign, unlike his father, who had buried them and done it all over again.

But this was different.

Two wars were ripping through his country at once, and the thought left him feeling weaker than usual. Too tired and too old. The Fourth Great Ninja War was tearing a hole in the country's bowels, and the economy was spilling right out of it with the war's expenses. It was another reason for the Fire Lord to lie awake at night and wonder how much shorter his life had been cut due to the stress of being in office.

To make matters worse, a renegade group calling themselves "The Brotherhood" had arisen suddenly while the war raged, pitting themselves against the ninja arts with technology the Fire Lord had never heard of before. The Five Great Countries had reached a pivotal point in history, and the people were going mad.

The Brotherhood wanted justice and equality.

The Hidden Villages wanted blood.

The Fire Lord wanted peace. And a little sleep and a cup of peppermint tea couldn't hurt, either. He sighed wearily, waving his fingers for quiet. A hush fell over the room.

A decision needed to be made, and he looked to the jounin guarding the conference chamber. So silent, so deadly, so serious, faces masked and hidden. Looking over at the kings and ambassadors once more, he felt more secure that he had one or two hidden in every shadow.

"My heart reaches out to all of you," he began in a tired voice. "We have all experienced the horrors, the sadness, and the rage of this war. Some of you have lost commendable nin. Others friends, or even loved ones. The Akatsuki must be stopped. Madara Uchiha must be stopped." Here he wiped at his brow with a handkerchief, while the others waited. The Water Lord coughed.

The Fire Lord continued, "The Brotherhood, rest assured, will be dealt with-"

"They are burning dolls in the streets, with faces akin to important nin from the Akatsuki, and even nin from Sunagakure. Now there are murders," the Wind Lord cut in, her kohl-rimmed eyes gleaming like cuts of black glass. "There are riots in the cities and towns surrounding Suna. The Kazekage is the youngest ever to be appointed, and I'm beginning to doubt his ability to deal with both a world war, and a civil one, when he lacks the experience."

The Water Lord nodded. "The Brotherhood has reached the mists, and the countryside has become a solemn place."

"Well, it's settled then! We send out special forces, and we kill the Brotherhood's leader, and just like that, end the civil wars!" the Earth Lord trumpeted. The Fire Lord sighed miserably (The Earth Lord was rather obnoxious), and the others shook their heads. The Water Lord grinned and settled back in his chair like he was amused.

If only it were so simple!

"Peace, Daishiro," The FIre Lord said to the Earth Lord, "that is what we must achieve. The Brotherhood cannot be stopped simply by assassinating its leader. They've amassed too many followers, and too many people believe them to be vigilantes of this war. We can't risk more division. No, no, we must look to their roots, but they will be dealt with and controlled. The people are angry with the Akatsuki, and with the hidden villages. The people are beginning to believe we grant our hidden villages too much power."

At these words, the Fire Lord noticed one of his Guardian nin, (Tsutomu was a nin the Fire Lord personally liked), fidget uncomfortably. The Hidden Leaf ,after all, was home to the majority of the Fire Guardians' best nin. The Fire Lord pretended not to notice.

"And in many ways," he continued, "we have. And why is this? The hidden villages are vital to our ways of ninja arts! They train our nin, protect our country's secrets, and give us some of the best damn ninja ever to have defended our countries. And even ourselves. And for that, we are grateful. For that, we commend them!

However, even the best villages spawn villains. My own included. Three important figures of this war hail from the Fire Country's Hidden Leaf: Madara Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi, and Sasuke Uchiha!"

There were rumbles, murmurs, and quiet curses from those who had gathered.

"Sasuke Uchiha!" the Grass Lord hissed venomously from her seat, "what has become of that devil?"

The Water Lord chuckled and eyed the pretty Lord's dainty figure. He said, "They say he exploded. Burst into a thousand tiny pieces, my dear, after he attacked the Leaf's elders. But don't worry your pretty head. If he rises from the dead, I'll be sure to protect you."

The Grass Lord squirmed in her seat.

"They all must be assassinated! Why haven't our special forces and assassins slit their throats yet? Unacceptable!" The Earth Lord said, banging his fist on the table.

The Wind Lord rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, because it's so easy to kill a wielder of the Sharingan, my Lord." The Earth Lord pretended not to have heard her, and a crescendo rose within the chamber as everyone voiced their opinion at once.

"There is only one way to deal with the Akatsuki! We cannot trust our Kages to handle this alone!"

"Preposterous! Do you have no faith in the very leader you appointed?"

The Lightning Lord scoffed. "Hah! We may have appointed them ourselves, but how have they repaid us? The Fire Lord is right! They hold too much power, too much sway in this war! What do we know of the Jinchuuriki's whereabouts now? Eh? Little to nothing! They hide him from us. We, the very Lords of our countries, are left in the dark. The Kages think they hold the puppet strings!" There was a short silence at this outburst, until someone else voiced their opinion.

"It is the Jinchuuriki! He must be dealt with!"

"Have you all suddenly forgotten about the Brotherhood? What of them? We cannot play host to two wars. We must deal with the smallest one first, get our people to stand together again! We cannot have these madmen thinking our very defenses are the root of this world's evil!"

"Enough!" The Fire Lord cried, and they hushed grudgingly. He folded his hands into his sleeves and glared.

"We've all gathered here for one reason and one reason only! We all know what this means and what must be done," he said cryptically, and the others nodded solemnly. Even the Water Lord had stopped grinning.

"Last all the kings and queens met, it was before either of us had taken office, or our fathers, or grandfathers. This meeting was done in order to try and reign in the amount of power our ninja had, and the destruction ninja arts caused. We all know how dangerous it can become.

And so, they discussed the jutsus until forbidden ones were decided upon and banned.

To this day any ninja found to be performing a forbidden jutsu is sentenced to death without trial before their country's Lord. The hidden villages were purged of these secrets. Scrolls destroyed and burned, and their withholders assassinated. Slowly, these jutsus slipped from memory, until the knowledge of them was mostly lost. Such a thing must be done again. We must all come to a decision. Terrible decisions such as these have graced our halls before to avoid certain destruction-"

"Are you referring," interrupted the Water Lord, "to the slaughter of the Uchiha clan performed in your own Hidden Leaf?"

The Fire Lord felt the heat rush to his face, but he controlled his anger. "The Fire Country was on the brink of instigating another Great War. The clan grew restless and too powerful. It was brought to attention by the village elders and the mission approved by my father.

The village elders were only approved to assassinate the clan's most important men, not their women and children. That day the Leaf demonstrated its own will and law apart from the Fire Lord. It is a blight upon our history. However, I will never forget what my father told me afterward. That one day, I would face the same. As have, and will, all of you."

There was a grim pause. It was true.

"I propose," The Fire Lord said slowly, watching them all closely as if to decide who would take up arms against him first, "that the act of sealing jutsus and creation of Jinchuurikis be rendered as forbidden."

There was a stunned silence; then, an uproar.

"The Jinchuuriki controls the demons that wreak havoc upon our lands!"

"A Jinchuuriki is highly useful and effective, especially in war! Where, my Lord, is the Fire's Jinchuuriki? Shouldn't he be fighting Madara and ending this war as we speak?"

"Yes! The power within Jinchuurikis is too great! To lose such a thing would more than a devastating loss!"

"Enough!" the Fire Lord yelled again. The chatter died down much more slowly. "Such a thing was said of reanimation jutsus and other forbidden techniques, and where did such evils bring us?"

The others did not meet his eyes and he continued, "I propose this be done, and that the other Lords heed and consider it. Without a Jinchuuriki, we would not have to fear Madara's illusions. Without this incredible power in the wrong hands, we would not be here today, discussing this war.

So I ask you, all of you! How can you stand to keep it in our midsts? How can you allow ourselves such a weapon of mass destruction and feel comforted by it, when it's possible that evil may take it under its own dark cloak? Would you wish this war upon your children and grandchildren?" He settled back into his chair, bristling with anger, but satisfied with his words.

His wife would be proud when he told her of this later.

The Wind Lord was the first to stand. "I agree. The sealing jutsu has caused each of our lands much pain and suffering. It is inhumane, binding a human to such evil. I have seen it; the Sand's One Tail brought many a good man to madness. The Jinchuuriki is the root to many great wars and evils. As most of us know, an entire country was eradicated due to its power and secrets. Whirlpool is no longer among us." There was a pause for respectful silence.

"Madara Uchiha has already captured eight demons. All that remains is the Kyuubi no Kitsune. And where the demon resides now, it will not wreak havoc. Let it be done. Let the pain and suffering end with this final Jinchuuriki." She finished with a solemn look, sitting back down.

"Yes..." The Grass Lord spoke suddenly, rising. "In this way, the Brotherhood seeks true. Without the Nine Tailed beast, our biggest foe would be compromised. We may not stop the war with this one act, but we may win the battle. Very well. I propose it as well, and give my support."

The Fire Lord glanced at both gratefully, surprised when the Water Lord spoke. He rose to a towering height of six foot five, all muscle and dark skin and sinew. He looked down upon all his comrades. It was hard to tell whether he was sneering at them, or grinning.

"Water will back this proposition." With that, he quickly sat back down. It was then that the quiet Sound Lord decided to speak. He'd been mostly forgotten, in his little corner at the far left.

"The Jinchuuriki is a hero in the Land of Fire," he said suddenly, and the others paused. "Is it wise to dispose of such a figure? You are afraid of causing an even greater rift by assassinating the Brotherhood, but what, I ask you, will come of the Jinchuuriki's death?"

The Earth Lord seemed to reconsider. "He is only a boy-" he began uncomfortably, but the Water Lord laughed loudly.

"Oho! Only a boy? Tell me he is only a boy, Daishiro, when you meet him in battle! This is war! I've seen twelve year-olds slit nin's throats because they hesitated, and those war-roughened brats will show you no kindness. No, I say. One life compared to a time of rest is nothing, I tell you. Let this be done with!"

The matter was dropped. Slowly, the proposition was accepted by each. Another few hours later, and a major decision had been reached, along with the outlaw of sealing jutsus and Jinchuurikis.

"And the hidden villages?" The Earth Lord piped up. "What of them? Are we still granting them too much power? Too much freedom to do with our country's security as they please? What of our ninja secrets? The rogue nin that hail from our hidden villages? The Lightning Lord speaks the truth! The Kages have been hiding information from us, taking the war into their own hands. You yourself, Fire Lord, explained what happened the when Leaf acted of its own free will, instead of as a country." All eyes drifted to the Fire Lord, again bright and gleaming and hungry.

"Perhaps," the Fire Lord agreed slowly, rethinking the Lightning Lord's earlier comment and knowing it to be true, "Perhaps it is time we reevaluate how our hidden villages, and our Kages, are handled."

There was a murmur of agreement.

"It is a dreary day," the Water Lord said suddenly, "By decreeing this act as forbidden, some great Kages will fall for their sealing secrets." He looked at the Fire Lord as he said it, and the FIre Lord tried not to fidget.

And on that day, the thirtieth of March, a special Black Ops team was hand picked from the Lords most elite teams and the Fire Lord's own Guardians. The team was dispatched with simple orders.

The time of power within the hidden villages was slowly coming to an end, and so had the time of the Jinchuurikis.

The Fire Lord retreated into his chambers for peppermint tea and a nap.

* * *

><p>Evening came, and in the gathering lavender shadows of the Fire Lord's library, his wife sat attended by ladies in waiting. The gossip was too juicy to resist, and they pored over a stolen copy of the Bingo Book. They shared circulating rumors about the war they had yet to see any evidence of.<p>

The sheltered life of nobility was definitely one to be envied. And, judging by the squeals, laughed at.

Ignorance was such sweet bliss, as the Fire Lord's wife was about to discover.

One of the ladies, Izumi, was after all, sleeping with a ninja from the FIre Lord's special forces. He'd allowed her to "take a look" at the book while she giggled and pleased him. Mika had taken one look at Izumi's gloating pink face and thought: _my husband could have your boyfriend's mask for that_. But she hadn't said a word, and flipped through the book herself.

The Fire Lord's wife felt twelve again, though Mika would have never admitted it.

"Did you hear of the Brotherhood? Spotted near Onsen? I hear the leader is incredibly handsome-"

"Pssh, if you like big old grizzlies!" Izumi taunted. Mika shot her a sharp look, but said nothing.

"Oh, oh, oh! If only I were younger!" Kaede, the woman to Mika's right, gushed. She pointed at a picture. They all looked.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Mika read, studying the picture. The boy indeed had a handsome face. A bit too serious though, like he couldn't smile. The women sighed.

"Such a handsome face! What a waste."

"You know," Izumi whispered, her eyes glinting with mischief (which could only mean more gossip), "I've heard interesting whispers about the youngest Uchiha. You've all heard about the Leaf Jinchuuriki?"

The woman nodded and someone quipped, "another good looking one!"

Izumi ignored this. "Well, the story goes that the Uchiha met the Jinchuuriki, I think his name is Uzumaki, in battle. They clashed terribly, but simply could not kill each other. They knew each other as boys and had formed a very strong bond with one another. But Uchiha went rogue and took up arms against the Leaf! Still, Uzumaki never gave up on him! Then, the saying is, Uzumaki disappeared not long after Uchiha was last spotted. People say they are running together, or that they're dead.

Uchiha is is actually dead though, I think. The elders of the Leaf blew him to pieces! Others say he's still alive somewhere, and he and Uzumaki are forming something new, something that will shape the tide of the war and will come out to fight as one! But that's silly talk. Everyone knows he's dead and Uzumaki is in hiding. Others are saying Uchiha and Uzumaki were lovers, and were running from the war together after deserting their allies."

"Lovers? How tragically romantic," Kaede said, her lips pursed in thought.

"Isn't it?" Izumi giggled.

Mika closed the bingo book with a snap. "Indeed," she said, "It is. How awful it would be to give your heart to one sworn to destroy your village. One that you, therefore, were destined to take down. I'm in no mood for tragedy and gossip. The day's been long. I should like to hear something light."

The ladies began to apologize, but then the doors to library opened with a creak. Their voices died. Izumi hid the bingo book into a pocket in her dress so fast, Mika admired her speed.

The Fire Lord had graced them all with his presence. He looked very tired and put out. Old, like his fifty-nine years. The ladies bowed lowly, then took their leave, leaving Mika to attend to her husband.

She waited until the doors had closed and the library filled with silence before she went to him.

He looked at her like she was a goddess, and she smiled in pleasure at the thought. Four sons later, and he still wanted to put another one in her belly.

Beauty had its advantages.

She began to knead his shoulders, ask him about his day.

"It went well, dear," her husband said, but his brow furrowed and his face fell. She leaned closer to him.

"It was the right thing to do, my love," she whispered, kissing his temple.

He seemed discomfited. "I suppose, but the JInchuuriki is a war hero. Well respected. And he's just a boy. Only seventeen, four years older than our eldest. What bad luck! To have your life taken so quickly for something you had no control over-"

She shushed him. "You're so compassionate. It's what makes you an excellent ruler. It's what I love about you, Osamu." She dug her fingers in harder, and her husband's head lolled in pleasure at the massage.

Nice. Very nice.

"So it is done, then? All of it? And the hidden villages?"

"All taken care of. The villages, some of them, will come under new management. It's a pity, but the action must be taken, for the sake of us winning the war." He yawned, and Mika's teeth gleamed in the gloom as she smiled.

"You're turning out to be a magnificent leader, Osamu. Better than your father could have hoped," she purred, but her husband had already fallen asleep.

It was what she got for marrying a man twenty-seven years her senior.

Night spilled into the library, and Mika drifted out to the balcony, watching the little city below as it glittered like a jewel under the moon.

"Is it done?" a voice asked gruffly from the shadows. Startled, Mika gasped, twirling on her heel and pulling a dagger from her sleeve on reflex. The figure stepped out into the moonlight, and Mika laughed like a girl, hiding the dagger away.

"Norio!" she scolded, "you mustn't scare me like that!"

Before her, a large man of six foot three loomed, grizzled dirty blond hair falling limply to his shoulders. Mika liked his light hair. It looked like a warrior's mane out of a storybook. She giggled when he reached out to her and roughly pulled her close, nuzzling her neck and breathing in.

"Yes," she murmured as he kissed her neck and trailed kisses her collarbone, "It is done. The Lords grow wary of the Jinchuuriki, and now the hidden villages will soon come under new order. I believe the ends for most of the current Kages are near. The Lords are taking the war into their own hands. We'll be winning this war soon enough, and the ninja responsible for it will be executed. Isn't that all that matters?"

Norio grinned at her, kissing her gently before hoisting her up. She sighed, wrapping herself around him. He took her on the balcony, her mouth opened in a perfect 'o' as she climaxed, all while her husband slept by the window like the old man he was.

"Yes," Norio ground out against her neck, and Mika moaned, not understanding that the smile on his face and the glint in his eyes wasn't for her, and neither were his words. It would be lost on her until later, that the real triumph had never been being her lover, it had been manipulating her to put ideas in her husband's head.

This triumph was sweeter than the honey between her legs, and Mika would know it too late, Years later she would reflect on this night , she would think of the love story of Uchiha and Uzumaki that had been giggled about in the library. She would think, alone and wistful in her older years, just how much of a triumph it had been.


	33. Snake

_Snake_

When he was small, Norio's mother used to tell him that snakes were the servants of the Whispering gods of the forests. They were messengers, she said, much to his delight. Sometimes, they slithered forth to whisper good secrets to the people. Other times, they were harbingers of death and a foul future.

A snake could mean good fortune, or a terrible omen.

In Norio's case, it was the first.

It had all happened the night the Kazekage's caravan had been successfully bombed. The Brotherhood had hooted from their places in the rock cliffs when they regrouped to look down upon it after back up had arrived to carry the Kazekage to safety. The ruins had yet to be examined by the enemy nin-which were, according to reports, at least a good hour or two away. There had been a full moon that night, and it filled the canyon with light. Norio had stood on the dunes, allowing himself a slow smile, feeling that the hot breath of desert air were the gods singing his victory.

It had been a glorious sight.

The ninja had been horribly injured. Too many were dead. All that Norio cared about was the Jinchuuriki. They crept down the canyon side like geckos. Stealthy, swift. Time was in their favor.

He remembered how his heart had stilled, how his breath had caught, when he noticed the blond hair and the hitai-ate in the rubble. His hands had shook and he thought of his dead wife as he threw the splinters back, only to howl in rage.

It hadn't been Uzumaki.

Tricked! The Brotherhood had been fooled. And Norio had cursed the stranger that had appeared to him a few nights before to hell. The strange, cloaked man who had told him all he needed to know about the one called Naruto Uzumaki, and where the coward was hiding.

Even worse, the Kazekage had survived the attack. Once the team fell back to check on their fighting brothers, Akira was nowhere around the camp, and Huang was lying in a puddle of his own drool in the sand, unable to move or speak.

A traitor was in their midst. A genjutsu had been cast! And Norio had hissed through his teeth and demanded that Akira be found. Akira would know what this was. He would know what to do.

But the boy couldn't be found. Murmurs of unease began to spread. Some began to panic. Moments later, devastating news reached Norio: the engineer, Kenta, was dead. The entire camp had been blown out of the sand.

Norio remembered the old woman in Saka.

Sasuke! Sasuke Uchiha! the mad old bitch had screeched, and a cold fury bit deep into Norio's gut.

Akira's a good boy, Norio remembered Eiji saying. And Eiji had been an honest man. A weak man, but honest nonetheless. Even Eiji had been fooled. The Akatsuki hadn't shown up in Iwa until after Akira (Sasuke?) had arrived.

Norio sent a shot from his fire lancer blasting into the night, enraged. Sasuke. Sasuke fucking Uchiha! The Brotherhood had been traveling with an Akatsuki member in their midst, and tonight, he had finally picked the perfect moment to strike!

Damn him. Sasuke Uchiha was a tricky bastard.

In a rage no one could hope to cool, Norio had marched to his camp. He upturned tables, ripped the map he had bought to get to the canyon, kicked at the sand and threw knives at practice dummies made out of straw until he had ripped them to shreds.

It was then, in the quiet, hot dark of the tent, that the snake found Norio.

It was a snake sent from the very gods. White as an oyster's pearl. It was curled on his bed, hissing softly, opening its black mouth wide and showing off deadly fangs. It rose like a snake charmer's cobra, swaying its bright head and watching, daring Norio to put a knife or a bullet through its eye.

Norio had let the knife drop to his feet, remembering his mother, and the snake slithered from the bed, across the floor. It wrapped around his ankle like a lover and climbed his leg, wound around his waist, found his shoulder, and finally coiled around his neck.

Doubt had flashed through his mind then. He had been afraid when its dark, forked tongue had reached out to taste his cheek.

But then the snake told him secrets.

_The Fire Lord,_ it whispered. _The Fire Lord is traveling through Saka tomorrow. You'll find he has a lovely, and influential, wife. Do not be discouraged. The ninja will pay. The Jinchuuriki will pay for tricking you this night. Sasuke Uchiha will _pay_ for what he's done_.

Norio wasn't one to not heed the advice of gods. The next morning, they set out to Saka, the snake hidden in his pack.

Sure enough, a royal litter was being carried through a busy street downtown. The Fire Lord had come to meet with the Wind Lord, and Saka had been the Wind Lord's childhood home. She owned a grand estate on this side of the desert, with a beautiful rock garden and private oasis.

Mika, the FIre Lord's wife, was a pretty sight. Like a flower in the sand. But, Norio had mused, she couldn't hold a candle to his Saiyuri.

_Woo her_, said the snake.

Norio did.

He kept up team morale, though the losses had been heavy, and Kenta's death monumental. But, Kenta has passed on his knowledge at hatred of Sasuke Uchiha kept the brothers alive. The Brotherhood wandered out of Saka, but knew their Sand allies would keep the word spreading through the dunes.

Every day, the snake told Norio more secrets.

_Perhaps_, it had hissed, _the time has come to give the Brotherhood a better image. An image all civilians will revere you for. Already, they hear you. Already, many seek you out. But it is not enough. They will think you heroes! Vigilantes! Defenders of justice in this time of strife!_

They gave more speeches. Saved more women and children from Akatsuki members and burned the rogue ninja in the streets.

Once, they saved a woman from being raped by a Chunin in an alley, and the word spread fast. See the nin? See how they abuse their power, hold it high over the heads of honest working people when they should be fighting? they had shouted.

The people heard.

The people shouted for justice.

Where was the Hokage when the people of Konoha, and everywhere else, needed her? Needed her nin? She was sitting in an air conditioned office, scribbling at papers, giving her best fighters to protect the coward Jinchuuriki!

The people shouted for spread like wildfire, and within a week, the Brotherhood had gained more followers in such a short time than they had in a month's time.

One day, the snake said, _now it is time Norio. Mika adores you. The Fire Lord will have a lot of sway in what it is to come. In this time of war, people look to the hidden villages, but the king will be our aid. If we succeed, the Jinchuuriki will be killed for us. The nin will be handled well for us. Sasuke Uchiha will suffer from this decision for deluding you._

So Norio began to whisper the secrets to the Fire Lord's wife.

When the meeting had happened, and the Jinchuurikis outlawed, Norio had sat back in his bed at the inn he was staying at, watching the snake coil itself on top of his chest.

"What now?" he asked it. "The law passed. I have listened to you and done everything you asked of me. Now, it is time for _justice_." He said justice like a cuss word, harsh and unforgiving.

Sasuke and Madara Uchiha, the snake whispered, and Norio grinned.

_I can tell you a secret, Norio_, said the snake,_ I can tell you how to make Sasuke Uchiha suffer. I can tell you how to kill Madara Uchiha. In the mountains, near the Northern face of the country, lies a temple, and beneath it, an ancient and most heavily guarded tomb long forgotten. There are secrets hidden within its catacombs, secrets you and your brotherhood will destroy..._

Norio shivered with excitement. It was almost too much, but his mother had once said he was born under a lucky star. What incredible power had he been so fortunate enough to stumble across?

Surely, he thought, the Brotherhood was in good graces. He must be doing the right thing for his people, for his world. He thought of his wife and unborn son, slaughtered before his eyes, and of the rifle under his bed.

"Tell me," he said.

And the snake did.

* * *

><p>Kabuto Yakushi was a man of many secrets. He was born with them. He was a bastard child and his father had never figured it out, not once, even though his son's hair color was lighter than his own.<p>

_From my side_, Kabuto's mother had said, and his father never once doubted it. And so, Kabuto kept his first secret.

His next secret came when he was only thirteen, and wilting under the hungry gaze of Danzou.

"You're a good boy, Kabuto," the Elder had said, his scarred face twitching with a smile. "A very good boy. A smart one. Great things come for smart people." Danzou had gripped his shoulder, walked him into a cold, underground room with metal walls that sapped any damp warmth from the earth.

Kabuto had seen the Sharingans from long dead Uchiha, and so, he kept his second secret.

There were many others. Too many to count. The lure of Orochimaru, beckoning Kabuto forward with a long, white finger and whispering of ancient power. The taste of his knowledge of his skin. The drive to be someone important, even at the expense of others. There was Sasuke's secret, so blatantly obvious that Kabuto wanted to laugh, and Madara's, so black and twisted and sad, that Kabuto wanted to laugh harder.

Then there was the secret of his snakes that Madara had not figured out. Kabuto's body might be dead, but he had come prepared. Now, he slithered along the floors, along Norio's shoulder, and whispered in his ear. Secrets from spies he had planted all over the countries. From birds to insects to beggars on the streets and whores in brothels and unwitting monks.

FInally, Kabuto's most favorite secret of all, had been Itachi Uchiha's secret of the Mangekyo, and not even Madara could have known. Madara believed Kabuto dead, and his body safely hidden in a new place.

But Kabuto was alive, and he knew the hiding place well. Kabuto curled around Norio's neck, tasting the air.

There was only one purpose in life now that he had failed. Only one revenge. Madara would die, thanks to Itachi's secrets. The hidden village that had forsaken him would no longer stand, and Sasuke would be ripped of all he loved.

It was only fitting! Seeing as how Kabuto was now ultimately denied Orochimaru. Sasuke had failed to come to him, and now he would pay the price.

Kabuto thought of Danzou as a day on the roads back to Fire Country began to dim.

_You're a very good boy. A smart one. Great things come to smart people._

Did they ever.

If Kabuto had had a mouth that could smile, he would have grinned, laughed even. Instead he only curled tighter in his basket, and dreamed of what was to come.

* * *

><p>AN: And we have more dastardly plot. The Fire Lord and others have just decreed something _huge _here, and the ninja way of life is now at stake. Now Naruto will not only be hunted by Akatsuki and the Brotherhood, he might as well be a criminal in the Fire Country. His assassination was just ordered.

Kabuto was denied his original plans, and now he's willing to do anything to bring Madara, and now Sasuke (because hey. he turned him down, and Sasuke shouldn't get to be happy when Kabuto isn't!) down. Most importantly, all those chapters ago we saw Kabuto studying Itachi. Later, he had stumbled across something important but it wasn't revealed. It still wasn't, but it was heavily hinted at, that it's something Kabuto could use to actually kill Madara. It will be revealed in another chapter or so.

Next chapter is entitled The Ninja Way. We'll see Sasuke and Naruto again and it will be mostly about them, traveling and coming to terms with each other. How will their relationship be salvaged after everything that has come to pass? There will also be a reappearance of someone else who hasn't been seen for a bit, and someone who was _just _introduced in Warhead and will make one reappearance and an important decision to help the plot along. Who could it be?

Where will this drive Naruto and Sasuke next? How much longer can they hide?

Yay for more chapters xD


	34. The Ninja Way: Vows

_The Ninja Way_

There had been a time, long ago, when Madara's black heart had slept. When the world had still seemed green and fresh and new. Back when his brother was still alive, still small, zipping through the yard and yelling "Madara! Madara! Try to fight me _now! _Bet you I'll win this time!" A time when Hashirama had been just another cocky, irritating little boy Madara had met by the river.

"_You suck at skipping stones," _Hashirama had taunted, "_you throw them like you don't really mean it." _

Madara had thrown a rock at the Senju boy and while he cursed and squealed to avoid it, had said, _"There. I really did mean it that time." _Madara never forgot that meeting, as insignificant as it might have seemed. It was on that very day that the young Madara had claimed Hashirama as his rival. Someone whose ass he always needed to kick.

Somehow, Hashirama's criticisms had lasted a lifetime. Branching from skipping stones, to leading villages.

It had happened so long ago, it might have all been a dream; a warped sense of reality embellished by Madara's fantasies and biases. Long before Hashirama's cool gray gaze had meant anything more than a damn good fight. Long before the Uchiha clan had become a diseased cesspool dirtying the walls of Konoha.

He remembered those days as he wandered, made an outcast, a fool, a dirty beggar, by those he had once accepted, even loved. He nearly grew mad with his own black thoughts as the years passed. Oh how he'd make them _suffer_ for their injustices if the time ever came, if the gods were ever good. He'd show them a _true _ruler. A real one.

He remembered those days when he felt the heat of the Kyuubi's breath on his face, threatening to melt his eyes or swallow him whole into a fiery pit of hell for gazing upon it. He nearly sank to his knees in front of such power, nearly wept. Lightning had veined the sky that fateful night, the night Madara Uchiha, cursed, broken, forgotten, had stumbled across the demon in the belly of the forest.

His Mangekyo swirled, and the beast snarled, but Madara beckoned it with a finger and whispered, "Come beast," even as it threatened to break his spine. _Here is my salvation from my fall from grace, _he'd thought.

And with it, he'd bring in a new tide to cleanse the filth. The world would be rid of it, all of it. A world without the Senju, without the Uchiha, without the common, petty hatred of mortal men, and the thought was so beautiful he really did sink to his knees then as the beast before him bowed its head.

He'd remembered Hashirama had had this saying. Some annoying and confident little promise he used to say before each battle. He'd called it his "ninja way". _I live for my people. Fight for them. Die for them. For as long as I live. This is my way of the ninja, how I choose to fulfill my promise to my clan as a protector. And you will never take that from the Senju, Uchiha. Never._

But Madara begged to differ.

The months were slipping by. Soon, the demon child would be born and Obito's ugly body could be tossed away, forgotten at the bottom of some river till the end of time for all Madara cared. He'd rise again, truly reborn.

And so would the world.

But he wasn't there yet. No. There was too much to do. He'd discovered, much to his annoyance (he would remember to greatly reward Kabuto's spy later. Who knew the little bastard had had _so _many advantageous connections? The spy had been the servant girl serving tea, and the Lords and the Guardians, had been none the wiser. Kabuto truly had been a fly on the wall. It was almost a pity he was dead), that the Lords believed assassinating the Jinchuuriki would stall the war. Stall Madara.

What foolishness!

As if Madara would allow such a thing to happen. No. Naruto could not die yet. Not until Sasuke Uchiha could have both partner and child cruelly ripped away from him. Until he was shown just how grave an end the Uchiha and the Senju deserved. How the two clans could never merge, and such an alliance would never mean peace. The Uchiha would always be bathed in the Senju's blood. It was the ultimate statement to the spirits of those long dead. Sasuke and Naruto would never find peace. Not while Madara lived.

It needed to be the right moment. The perfect moment. A moment that would make Sasuke Uchiha _wish _the Leaf's Elders had killed him.

_Hashirama controls you still, even from the grave. It infuriates you, doesn't it? Knowing that they have what you never did. It angers you, so you want them to die in a _particular _way. _

Kabuto had been sharp. He had seen into a sliver of Madara's mind, despite the mask. Madara could patient. He could wait out the months, the war. His army was doing well. New experiments were being created, thanks to a nin Madara had appointed to watch Kabuto carefully, and he never had to wait long before yet another village or town had been claimed in his name.

Yes. It was all going well. The Lords seemed to forget how powerful an adversary Madara was, and it almost made him angry. How dare anyone believe him so easily foiled? Did they really hope to stop his devastation by this two acts? If only Kabuto hadn't been so stupid, he'd be sitting here, right now, enjoying the turn of events and awaiting the newest developments with a grin.

"My Lord?" a voice from the shadows called. Manabu, the newest medic nin in charge of the experiments, entered the chamber cautiously. Madara was brooding, and it was common knowledge that whenever Uchiha brooded, disturbing him could get your throat slit.

The medic's adam's apple bobbed nervously and he did a jerky little bow. "My Lord, the experiments-I-I'm afraid the newest batch isn't taking well to the curse marks."

Madara felt a familiar rage begin to brew. "Show me," he demanded. He heard the snarls and the cries before he saw the girl. She was brought into the room in a cage, feral looking and orange-eyed, brown hair fanning over her face in a tangled mess. Chakra was leaking from the girl, and like acid, it was burning her slowly.

"MAMA!" she wailed, beating at the bars with bloody hands, "MAMA!" Madara closed his eyes against the noise and demanded the brat be taken away.

"What was _that_?" he hissed, pointing at the retreating cage. Manabu flinched.

"My Lord, you last instructed that for every two killed-"

"Did I ask for a child army, Manabu? Did I ask you to bring me infants?"

The medic paled. "M-my-my Lord, we were only your humble servants-!"

"What was wrong with the child?" he asked suddenly, furious.

"The curse marks are creating new side effects we didn't anticipate. The girl's abilities seemed to have backfired. We've already lost fifty due to this issue-"

"_Fifty?" _Madara hissed, livid. Manabu whimpered like the spineless coward he was and bowed on all fours, begging forgiveness. Madara stood from his chair, gliding towards the cowering nin before him. He grabbed Manabu by the hair and lifted his prostrate form.

"Fix it," he hissed. "_Fix _the girl and prove to me it's reversible. If she dies, you will join her."

Manabu scurried away, spitting apologies and promises.

Too quickly, Madara was alone again, seething, bitter, empty. For several long moments, the only sound was the distant rush of an underground river that sped through the cave. Madara made to leave. The next two days passed infuriatingly slow, even to someone who had lost concept of time. The rush to fix the experiments was underway, and it consumed nearly every moment. But when Madara was alone, he was filled with memories from a past life and the face of a lover long dead and much despised. The end was so close, how could he _not _think of such things? It was while Madara was pouring over some maps left to him in his chamber, that a voice echoed eerily off the stone.

"Madara..."

Madara spun around, Mangekyo activated and deadly. "Show yourself!" he hissed.

"Oh, Madara..." the voice whispered. "What have you become?"

If Madara had had a heart, it would have skipped a beat. Instead, his being only shimmered, torn between flitting away to safety and staying put to fight. The voice wasn't one of the living.

"You're dead, Hashirama," he said wildly.

"Madara..."

Behind him. Hashirama was behind him. Madara whirled around, but there was no one. For too long, he stared into a corner, waiting. When nothing happened, he turned, only to meet the pale face of an apparition. Its eyes were black pits of hell, its mouth opened with a wicked grin, and it looked down at him with the face of Hashirama Senju.

"I'll fight for them. Die for them. This is my way of the ninja, even from the grave. Join me, Madara!" It rushed at him, and suddenly it was gone. Madara shouted.

"HASHIRAMA! HASHIRAMA! _FACE ME!" _

No one answered. The cavernous room felt too empty, and so did Madara. It only then, as his footsteps slowed and a new understanding dawned in his mind, that he realized it truly had been a warning. Just not one he had expected.

Shortly after Kabuto's death, Madara had created a warning system. He would be sure that he could never be caught in such a trap every again. He had found his body after some searching. The link between soul and body was difficult to find, but it was there. It led Madara to an ancient tomb under the holy walls of the Temple of Izanami. Such a holy place...Madara almost laughed to now be buried along with the most powerful and wise monks of a forgotten age. The warning system was intricate. Something secret that no one could easily detect, something that when triggered, manifested itself in a Mangekyo illusion from his own eye. With a roar, Madara marched out of the room, and every Akatsuki member he passed steered clear.

How curious that the warning had come to him in the form of a vengeful Hashirama. Madara Uchiha was in a rage, and his followers cowered in his presence.

Someone was about to tamper with Madara Uchiha's corpse. _Someone _was about to die.

* * *

><p>Afternoon near the mountainside brought icy spring rain. In the mists near the Mount Taiyou mountain range, a pair of eyes gleamed behind an ivory monkey face in its lush canopies, fixed on the trail below.<p>

The Sun Mountain was one of the last holy places left to the Five Great Countries, and its borders were serene, not yet scarred by war. The actual mountain itself was a few days travel to the the east, sitting on the border between River and Fire Country. The mountain's temple, for the ancient goddess Izanami, still stood strong and gleaming, promising enlightenment and peace.

But not everyone seemed to understand that Izanami, while a goddess of life, was also the ancient goddess of death. Yet, refugees flocked to her walls to escape it.

It seemed fitting.

The rain was falling heavier now, and Tsutomu rearranged himself on his branch, cold and wet. He was beginning to despise the spring in the Land of Rivers. Yet, rumor was, the Jinchuuriki had been seen fleeing Wind Country. It stood to reason that the Rivers could one of many potential escape routes. So Tsutomu and his team had been dispatched on the main roads heading for Mount Taiyou. What better place to run and hide than a monk temple brimming with refugees? Tsutomu looked through the green-black shadows of the forest's trees. Still nothing, and no word. Restless, he let out a bush warbler cry to count the sharp eyes of his team.

It pierced through the rain, but there was no Tsutomu waited. Ten long minutes later, another bird call rang through the trees, then another not long after, and Tsutomu relaxed. All too soon, he became a part of the tree again, death in the branches. They had taken up Leaf ANBU uniform, their Guardian sashes coiled and wrapped tightly around their left arms instead of on their waists. They didn't want to bring immediate attention to themselves. And each man in Tsutomu's team had once served in Konoha's ANBU's forces.

Some days, Tsutomu forgot there was a face behind his mask's mocking red grin. That there was a man beneath the Guardian's uniform and cold blooded accuracy. Sometimes, he forgot what it was like to sleep deeply, or laugh loudly and suddenly.

But no jounin would risk death for a laugh.

Today, however, Tsutomu knew the man behind his mask very well. He was agitated, restless. The Fire Lord's commands still rang in his ears. Direct orders. No missteps. Kill on sight. Do not speak to the targets. Do not let yourself be seen.

The Hokage was going to die.

Back in his ANBU days, Tsutomu would have died for the Hokage first and the Fire Lord later. Now, ironically, it was supposed to be the other way around. He was to kill the Leaf's Hokage for his Fire Lord.

Fate worked in mysterious and bitter ways.

He was a Guardian. He protected Osamu the Fourth, reigning Fire Lord, and fought valiantly for his country. He took the lives of villains, of assassins. He kept peace and watched it unfold from a distance.

But this was different.

The Lords were bringing about a new change. A big change. Soon, three out of five Kages would be dead. Three new Kages, especially picked by the Lords, would rule the remaining hidden villages.

The Jinchuuriki would be assassinated.

The hidden villages would be ransacked for sealing secrets, their withholders and any and all who knew of these secrets murdered in their sleep without a blink or second thought. The ninja academies would come under new government order and would close their classrooms until after the War.

Slowly, the ninja way of life was going to die.

It had troubled Tsutomu greatly. Made him fitful in his sleep, recalling days in Konoha. His childhood. His sensei. He remembered thinking, they'll kill Sensei when they see him. He'll die, because of what he knows.

And Sensei was just a retired Jounin who liked shoji. A calm, peaceful old man with seven grandkids who were always playing in his vegetable gardens. He used to tell Tsutomu that the tomatoes and squash and the squabbling children made him forget about days he didn't want to dream of again.

But Tsutomu would dream of them to the end of his days.

"Marker," a disembodied voice in his ear piece crackled, "movement at twelve o'clock." Tsutomu looked. He waited, until the rain seemed like the only thing in the world. Sure enough, five minutes later, a small cloaked figure appeared to the far side of the north.

Walking slowly down the beaten down deer path that zigzagged through the forest, the figure made its way through the rain, nearly slipping down a gentle slope turned into water and mud. A green hand shot out to steady the walking stick, spearing it into the ground for support.

It was no person walking down the path. Not human at all.

"_Saru_," the voice in Tsutomu's ear piece crackled again, "report."

Tsutomu put a finger to his ear piece and said, "Arms down." It was nothing. No one important. Just a beast making its way towards the mountain's main road. A toad.

How unusual.

Like the monkey he was nicknamed after, Tsutomu dangled in the trees before leaping into the next, on a lower branch for a closer look. What would a toad be doing, wandering the Sun Mountain range? he thought.

A talking beast, when so rarely seen, was too odd to pass up. Especially given that, according to reports, Uzumaki was affiliated with the Toad Lands. Expertly, he balanced on the thin branches, moving with the toad as it passed beneath him.

Nearly a mile later, the creature paused, making a splash with its stick as it struck the ground once more.

"You underestimate me," called the toad, much to Tsutomu's surprise and amusement. "Come on out. I mean no harm. Just a weary traveler looking for a little peace. If you're a thief, I assure you my belongings will do you little good."

Tsutomu shrank away, concealing himself better. Suddenly, the toad disappeared with a poof. Cursing, Tsutomu scanned the ground. Not one to be deterred, he moved quickly through the trees, headed east on a hunch.

Three miles ahead, he found the toad again, but this time, he was careful. The toad was looking over its shoulder as it traveled, even stopping a few times to peer through the sheet of rain. Suddenly, it veered off the path and into the thick of the surrounding forests.

Tsutomu followed.

The old toad moved with an agility that defied its age. It hopped, leaped, bounded, walking stick seemingly forgotten as it sailed over fallen trees, boulders, and streams.

Deeper, it went, and deeper. Soon the trees grew so thickly, what little light the gray sky spilled was caught in the canopy, leaving the forest floor eerily dark. Tsutomu began to wonder what, or who, would be at the end of the toad's path.

The toad went faster, faster. Tsutomu smiled, his skills in the trees tested by the toad he chased.

Then, as quickly as he'd seen the toad, it was gone again. Tsutomu paused. For several long moments, he hung frozen in the trees, barely breathing, eyes narrowed as he searched the ground.

Silence.

His muscles began to relax, but too soon. A body loomed behind him, in the trees. Tsutomu spun like a cat in mid air, slashing out on instinct and landing on a lower branch. His kunai was was deflected with ease. A much different, and larger, cloaked and masked figure stared down at him from a higher branch.

Tsutomu sent a kunai embellished with an exploding tag flying towards the figure's face. They leaped away into another tree, just as the tree groaned with the explosion, some of its limbs flying away.

The force from the blast had thrown the mask from the figure as they tried to escape, and Tsutomu saw fleeting blue eyes, and a streak of blond hair as they escaped and scaled down the tree, more slowly than he would have expected, to the ground.

Below Tsutomu, standing in the rain and leaf-littered ground, was Naruto Uzumaki. For a moment, neither moved, only watched each other.

The Jinchuuriki was glaring at him, kunai at the ready, but he didn't make another move. "There's no need to come to blows," he said. "We're allies."

Tsutomu frowned behind his mask and dropped from the tree. "I'm afraid, Naruto Uzumaki, that as of last week, you are no one's ally."

The boy's eyes widened in confusion and dismay before he recovered, replacing his confounded look with something defiant and vengeful. He jabbed at himself with his thumb and growled, "I'm a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. I'm fighting against this war! I am your ally!"

Tsutomu shook his head, preparing to form hand seals. He didn't know why he was stalling. Why he had bothered talking to the boy. He was going against orders.

Do not talk to the targets. Do not be seen. Kill on sight.

But he stayed his hands. They felt frozen and stiff in the rain. It was unlike him. He never hesitated to kill, and never betrayed his superiors with a will of his own. It was what made Tsutomu invaluable. Unswayable. Loyal.

The Fire Lord's voice rang in his ears: Perhaps it is time we reevaluate how our hidden villages are handled. Perhaps it is time for change. We can't afford the hidden villages acting on their own law and will. Not in this war. It will be better this way.

Naruto Uzumaki was waiting, wary. He held up his hands as if to show he meant no harm. "Please," he said, only a little louder than the rain, "we don't need to fight each other."

Kill on sight. Do not talk to the targets. Do not be seen.

Tsutomu began his hand seals, and Uzumaki's face twisted with rage. His signature shadow clones popped into existence to flank him, but before anything could happen, a twig snapped to the left and Tsutomu whirled around to face another attacker. Suddenly, he felt himself fall.

For a second, he was so afraid he'd forgotten to be confused. Hadn't he just been standing on solid ground?

It was unexpected. This genjutsu. He was falling, losing his footing, seeming to plunge endlessly off the side of the mountain. He shouted, flailing. There was no end in sight to his fall, and his stomach seemed to climb into his throat and dive right back down into his knees.

He looked up into a sky that never met the ground, and in the sun's place, a great red eye glared down at him from the clouds, tomoe spinning with the Sharingan. Despite being imprisoned in the illusionary hell, Tsutomu could make out voices once he stopped yelling.

"No, don't kill him, wait! Dammit, Sasuke, stop!"

"What the hell is your problem, Naruto? I swear you don't even think-"

"Calm your ass down and listen to me! Damn, that knock to the head sure didn't do much to your attitude."

"You can't just pull this shit, Naruto-"

"Oh my-urgghh-I just-I forgot how stupidly annoying you are-!"

"That the kid talking or just you?"

"Don't be such an ass."

The illusion broke, and Tsutomu found himself face to face with Sasuke Uchiha, world-wide wanted criminal and member of the Akatsuki. He had Tsutomu at swordpoint, just seconds from slicing into his throat.

His face was pale and rugged, his eyes large and spinning, and he looked really pissed off. The whole scene threw Tsutomu off guard. Naruto Uzumaki traveling with Sasuke Uchiha?

What madness was this? Another genjutsu? Was someone wearing a henge? Was Tsutomu _missing_ something here?!

He blinked.

"Naruto! Naruto!" another voice called, and the toad Tsutomu had followed came into view, stopping short.

"I thought I was being followed," the toad panted, glowering, but he was ignored as Naruto stepped forward. Uchiha didn't take his sword away, and he turned his head just enough to shout at Naruto to stay back and leave.

"I'll take care of this," Sasuke hissed. Naruto looked ready to blow a fuse, the toad was trying to pull Uzumaki away, and Tsutomu found he couldn't have moved if he tried. The Mangekyo seemed to hold him in a trance.

"This isn't your team, Sasuke," Uzumaki growled, dangerous. "So listen up. We haven't heard anything in three weeks. We don't know what's going on out there. I think it's a good idea to try and find out."

Sasuke's eyes drifted from Tsutomu to Naruto. The two ninja locked eyes, and Tsutomu could almost feel the electricity between the gazes. Tsutomu winced when the swordpoint stuck into his skin and twisted a little.

"Fine. Quickly," Sasuke relented, and Naruto walked up to Tsutomu. He noticed, with a chill, how closely Sasuke was watching him.

The kid meant business.

Naruto kneeled in front of him, blue eyes bright and suspicious. He looked different than the picture the team had been given. He seemed darker, his hair longer. He had a defined jaw, and a serious face that looked like it could suddenly split into a carefree grin if given the chance. Tsutomu thought he could see Kushina in that jawline.

Uzumaki looked so much like the Fourth then that Tsutomu froze, inside and out. He remembered, once upon a time, when he would have died for the Fourth.

But that had been a long time ago.

"We aren't enemies," Naruto said lowly. "If you could-"

"But we are," Tsutomu said suddenly, and Naruto's brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Tsutomu acted.

He had activated his own genjutsu the minute Sasuke broke his illusion, and he'd been feeling the Mangekyo slowly lift. He rolled away, hitting back Uchiha's sword. Sasuke quickly and protectively leaped in front of Naruto, pushing him back, but Tsutomu was headed for the trees. Uchiha was on his tail, and he knew it, but Tsutomu stopped climbing once the branches grew too thin, and the figures below were as small as a drop of blood,. All the while, Sasuke sent surges of electricity with his sword, while Tsutomu deflected and twisted out of the way.

Uchiha was glowering, looking venomous once he had caught up. "You're not getting away to squeal," he hissed, and Tsutomu shook his head.

Then he did the unthinkable.

He dropped his weapons and held his hands up in surrender. before Sasuke could deliver a hefty blow. Sasuke faltered, and Naruto was watching the scene unfold from below.

"In two days time," he said, making sure his voice carried, "the Kages will meet in a shrine at the base of Sun Mountain. It's a death trap. All but the Kazekage and the Tsuchikage will be assassinated. And as of last week, the Fire Lord deemed all sealing techniques and making of Jinchuurikis forbidden. There is a pretty price on Uzumaki's head."

The silence that followed seemed to quiet even the rain.

"The hidden villages are coming to an end of their glory days. Our lives as ninja, as we know it, are about to change. Ninja arts are about to become heavily guarded."

"Why are you telling us this?" Sasuke Uchiha whispered, and Tsutomu grinned bitterly.

"I had a home once," he said, "and I swore to protect it. I used to tell everyone it was my Ninja Way; I would always protect my people, no matter the cost. Maybe you aren't part of the Leaf anymore, Uchiha, but Uzumaki is. And we're all ninja. We all have common ground here. If I'm lucky, you'll reach the shrine in time to warn the Kages, and you'll know the stay the hell away from this mountain range. The team came up with all possible escape routes from Suna and covered them. They're waiting for you to take the road to Taiyou.

The Temple may be a great place to hide, but that's what they're betting on. They have the roads covered. Stray from the forests and you're dead men. Even then, it's only a matter of time before they start branching out."

He took a breath, realizing how high up he was.

"There's a wagon of refugees coming in from Wind Country. Raid survivors. Should be passing by the path here in an hour or so. It's already been searched. I can get you on there."

The rain stopped falling, and Sasuke lowered his sword after searching Tsutomu's face for a moment, as if he could find lies concealed in the lines of Tsutomu's face. A long moment passed, and Sasuke frowned, looking to Naruto.

"Take us," he said finally, red eyes fixed on the ground below. Tsutomu didn't need to look to know where the boy's eyes had landed. He wondered how Uzumaki and Uchiha had come to cross paths again, what kept them side by side.

An hour later, the four of them were huddled under cloaks along the strip of trees by the path, drenched in rain again. A light bobbed in the distance like a firefly until the wagon came closer and the driver stopped, wary at the sight of the Guardia. Tsutomu stopped the wagon, assuring its driver he had found some lost and weary wanderers on the road.

Uzumaki paused before he could enter, and turned to look at Tsutomu, a fierce light in his eyes. "You have my word," he said, "And that's my Ninja Way! I won't let anything happen to the Kages." WIth that, he climbed in, Uchiha watching all the while, an unreadable expression on his face.

Tsutomu watched the wagon disappear beyond a bend, and suddenly he was alone. The walk back to his base in the tree was icy, lonely, and bittersweet, but at least there was another pause between rain showers.

The Guardians were waiting for him in the trees, and Tsutomu felt the knifepoint in his back before it had been unsheathed. He stopped, unafraid, and turned to face his accuser.

"Where've you been, _Saru_?" The lizard, Denbei, asked behind his mask. Another figure closed in.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, _Saru_. Never took you for a traitor," came the silky, effeminate voice of Yuu, the frog.

"Got word someone saw an Uzumaki look-alike on the upper road. Blond guy. Long gone by the time we got there, but the women there were only too kind to tell us about how a kind samaritan ANBU with a monkey mask had stopped the wagon to put three weary travelers aboard."

The knife pricked Tsutomu's skin. He didn't move an inch.

"You got them headed for Izanami's Temple, Saru?" Yuu asked.

Tsutomu thought of Konoha in the summer. Of his sensei and his tomatoes and seven loud grandkids and rainy winter afternoons spent playing shoji. He remembered the Fourth and the Third and the cliffside, and how his mother would be waiting for him in her rocking chair by the window in her bedroom, like she always used to when he was little and running late. She wouldn't see her son walk up that path ever again.

"No use lyin' to you boys, right?" he whispered. They didn't reply.

"I got them headed past the Temple," he lied with a grim smile, "to the shrine."

It was too good a bluff to dismiss, and Denbei and Yuu knew it.

The penalty for treason among the Guardians was immediate death, as Tsutomu well knew, and he didn't struggle when Denbei grabbed him under the chin and pulled his head back. He looked up at the sky, and noticed it was going to rain again. He could see a crack of it from a break in the trees. This time, he was grateful for it.

The spring rain in River Country was cleansing.

* * *

><p>AN: This was all one chapter until I realized how long I made it. Part 2 continues next chapter, along with Sasuke and Naruto PoVs


	35. The Ninja Way: Some Bonds Never Break

_The Ninja Way _continued

When Sasuke had only been Akira, there were some nights he'd hadn't slept; nights he'd spent curled on the ledge by his window, watching the moon and remembering his dreams.

He used to sit there and wonder what he'd do, say, think, when he finally found the person with the blue eyes. He'd thought, when he finally found this person, there'd be no more mysteries, no more gray areas, and it would all unfold before him.

Now Naruto was like an enigma. Someone so head strong, so brave, so full of heart. Yet there was a sadness to his friend, his lover, something Sasuke wasn't sure how to combat.

The wagon hit a bump, and Sasuke felt himself collide with Naruto. Their shoulders bumped, and Sasuke felt Naruto's light hair brush against his cheek. Then Naruto mumbled, "sorry" and straightened himself. Naruto looked away, face still marred with a grimace, and Sasuke knew he was thinking of Tsutomu.

But Naruto wasn't talking to Sasuke about it.

It left Sasuke wanting, frustrated, and confused. He didn't say anything, only looked straight ahead.

They hadn't touched each other since their reunion, and even then, the only times Sasuke had laid a hand on Naruto had been to redress his bandages after the Kyuubi's near surfacing by Suna. To feel their shoulders brush sent a jolt through his gut.

He remembered, how, that night in the desert, Naruto had stared at him, eyes so large Sasuke didn't know whether to laugh, absurdly enough, or look away, feeling shame he didn't really understand.

He found himself wondering what he'd expected to happen. What had he imagined this reunion would bring? He had so many thoughts and reactions: he was relieved, he was grateful, he was upset, he was desperate. He wanted to bow his head and kneel by Naruto and say "look at me the way I remember you looking at me". And another part of him was angry and annoyed for feeling that way. He didn't need anyone else's approval to keep moving, to feel at peace.

He wanted to touch Naruto, but he didn't, only hung back by the light of the fire.

"You're alive," Naruto had whispered, and Sasuke had remained silent, watching him closely. Waiting, waiting, for that pull to subside, or bring them together in a clash of bandages and sand and burned skin and destiny.

But Naruto had only bent his head and closed his eyes. It had taken Sasuke a minute to realize he was crying.

"I thought you were dead," came the hoarse reply.

So did I, Sasuke had thought grimly. He didn't know what to say, what to do. He only looked on helplessly, at a loss. What would he have done before this happened?

He didn't know. He only remembered the key points, flashes here and there from a time long gone. There were some things about himself, or Naruto, he still couldn't remember.

So, he'd redressed Naruto's bandages in silence. He wondered about the child, if it was still alive after such an ordeal, but then Naruto gritted his teeth against the sting of his skin as it moved within him, and Sasuke didn't bring it up, but his thoughts never strayed far from it, making him tense. He told Naruto to get some rest; they only had so long to lie down low before they needed to get moving again. Sasuke remembered his voice had been short, all business, and he was angry with himself later. That night, he kept close but far away, and soon, Naruto slept.

It had been a struggle to leave Suna, and the Akatsuki that were rumored to have begun to litter the dunes. The Yamagatas had not been forgotten and Sasuke still ached, still raged, for their memory. The sun had not yet risen when he had paused at the border with Naruto, who'd cast a curious sidelong glance at him. He'd fought with himself to take another step forward and tell himself _later, later_. He'd kept his recent past to himself, jealously guarding it, leaving Naruto to wonder what he'd experienced, where he'd been, all those weeks, save for the obvious facts. So Naruto only watched and wondered, and Sasuke only watched and wished.

Three weeks later, they still watched each other, unspoken words hanging at the corners of their mouths, fingers nearly reaching for the other when they walked close enough for their shoulders to brush, until they remembered the gap between them and drifted away.

Fukasaku had joined their little group, and for some reason, it made the silence, the not touching, so much more unbearable, because now someone else was there to try and break up the tension.

Sasuke would catch Fukasaku stealing glances at him, and Sasuke knew the toad was thinking of the child, that he was counting on Sasuke to carry everything out as planned. The memory of the old toad brought back flashes of a time in Konoha. An angry Naruto, the fear that he would never look at Sasuke the same again, the blue flash of a vein of lightning.

Sasuke kept himself from thinking about it, and Naruto kept a wary eye open.

Sometimes, Sasuke would find Naruto still awake when the sun was kicking the moon out of the sky, and Sasuke would feel like wandering over silently. Saying something stupid like "hey" or "what are you thinking about?"

But he never did.

Dark truths had mottled his image, and he accepted this, took responsibility for it. A chasm had been created between him and Naruto. Something large and gaping and sharp, like a sinister maw full of teeth. It was this that kept Naruto brooding, kept him looking pained, that kept him watching Sasuke instead of seeking him.

They rarely spoke. If only to talk about where to go next, or uncomfortable chatter about the child. The old toad never spoke of it, either. Not once, and Sasuke had to wonder what Fukasaku was thinking-

"What brings you to Taiyou?" A voice sliced through his thoughts, and Sasuke blinked, looking up from his hands in his lap.

A young woman was looking at him expectantly, a hand placed over her own slightly swollen belly. Sasuke's eyes automatically darted to Naruto when he noticed this, and he found the blond looking at the evidence of her pregnancy as well. She was pretty, obviously a Wind Country native. Tanned, dark hair, almond shaped eyes, thin lips.

"Are you refugees or are you native to the land of Rivers?" she asked again. Sasuke and Naruto shared a glance, something that sent heat shooting through his veins.

_When had they last looked at each other?_ Sasuke found himself wondering. It was Naruto who broke the pause.

"Yeah," Naruto began earnestly finally breaking eye contact, "well, I mean, we're from Saka," he said lamely, and Sasuke smirked as he stumbled for words to explain themselves and not look suspicious.

"What he means is," said Sasuke, earning a glare from Naruto that he secretly enjoyed, "Is that we left Saka after the riots began. Wind Country is riddled with Brotherhood gangs. It's getting nasty."

The girl readily accepted this. "Oh, I know! It's why my mother and I left!" She looked to the woman to her right, who was covered head to toe, only her eyes peeking through. It was traditional, conservative Wind Country dress.

"You talk of the Brotherhood as if they're common criminals," the girl's mother said icily. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and Naruto frowned, but the girl laughed forcefully, smoothing the tension over, but not well.

"Mother likes to think them vigilantes."

"Nagisa," her mother scolded sharply, "they're men with a purpose. They're brave. Finally, a group with honor and resolve. Someone who takes a stand for their people in this war."

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Sasuke could feel Naruto fidget beside him. He didn't have to look to know Naruto was irritated. Nagisa laughed again, and Sasuke was quickly annoyed.

"Then why are you here," he asked, "why are you escaping them if what they're doing is so _honorable_?"

The woman didn't miss a beat. She sent a scathing glare Sasuke's way. "My daughter will have her baby within the next few months, and our lands have become unsafe, thanks the ninja who wish to destroy the Brotherhood's mission."

Well, that's a believer for you.

Naruto ignored this, but smiled at Nagisa. "Congratulations," he said softly, and Sasuke found himself watching Naruto again. They hadn't spoken much about the child in a few days, and Sasuke mentally sighed. The little demon. He squirmed in his seat uncomfortably as he once again reflected on his business with the toad. He found himself looking at Naruto again, but he turned his gaze away reluctantly. A strange expression was seeming to spasm over Nagisa's face, and Sasuke frowned at her reaction to Naruto's congratulations. Her lips twitched with a smile, but then her brows furrowed and she looked pained.

"Well, I-"

The girls' mother laughed dryly, cutting her daughter off. "Do you not notice the absence of a ring? Congratulations are not in order. My daughter is unmarried. The orphanages in Saka were unable to meet my expectations. We are traveling to the Temple so the child can be taken in by the monks. It is a disgrace-"

"No one is ever a disgrace for existing," Naruto interrupted hotly, surprising them all. "Your choice is your own," he said, looking Nagisa, "and that's something everyone should accept, no matter what. But other people shouldn't tell you what to believe about your own life."

There was a strained silence. Sasuke watched Naruto and quietly, he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto turned to look at him, surprised. HIs blue eyes drifted to Sasuke's hand.

Sasuke's grip tightened. Just a little.

Naruto didn't move away. Their gazes locked, but suddenly that infuriating Wind woman was speaking again and the moment of understanding was gone.

"How _dare_ you-!"

"Now, now, now," another voice erupted from the right, a new voice in the conversation. "Whatever your daughter may decide, I can assure you the Temple is an excellent place for children, and the monks there are wise and Enlightened and very kind. It's why me and my friend are headed there ourselves! It's a beautiful place. Full of tranquility. We're headed there join the monks-"

"And who are you?" the Wind woman snapped, and Sasuke and Naruto slowly disconnected their gaze to look. In the gloom of the cart, they hadn't noticed the faces of the two strangers sitting crammed in a corner. One was a bald, exuberant looking young man with blue eyes and simple clothing. To his left, another bald boy, hunched over with a scowl on his face and a bandage wrapped tightly around his head to hide his eyes, cracked his knuckles.

The happy young man laughed, holding up a hand as if to apologize for interrupting. "Excuse me, I'm sorry. I'm Daisuke Hara. I'm actually a native! Anyone know Tani, the Valley? No? Oh, it's a lovely place. Anyway, I was on my way to the temple (I finally decided to follow my calling) when I came across my friend here! So now we've traveling together." He gestured to the boy beside him, who grimaced. Daisuke nudged him a little, and the boy pursed his lips.

"Name's Akira," he said lowly, and Sasuke's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

Well, well, well. What were the odds? For a reason Sasuke couldn't shake, a dark feeling of foreboding crawled over his skin, and he looked over at Naruto, who had leaned back in his seat and was nodding at the newly introduced travelers.

"Akira lost his eyes in a raid. Well, not entirely. His sight, during a fight. He was burned, but well, er, you get the picture. Anyway, we've been traveling together ever since. We make a great team! Akira's kinda shy, but he's great, really. Oh, look at me, talking so much, what must you all think of me? You haven't introduced yourselves! And you, toad! I've never seen a talking beast before! You must tell us of the Toad Lands!"

Every eye turned to look at Fukasaku, and Sasuke grinned at the old toad's obvious discomfort from the attention. Fukasaku scoffed and said, "Any human who comes to know of the Toad Lands without being invited to learn so is sentenced to die a cruel and horrible death."

Daisuke's eyes widened comically, and Sasuke' bit the inside of his cheek. Naruto hid a snort behind a cough, but he was still squirming in his seat to keep from laughing.

The conversation died down quickly after that, and the cart came to a halt in a clearing. Night had come, and the driver could not continue his journey without some rest. Camp was made, and Fukasaku had gone to forage for mushrooms for dinner.

The toad had been unusually quiet since his reunion with Sasuke and Naruto.

Suddenly, Sasuke found himself alone with Naruto in the grass, and he wasn't sure what to say. Then Naruto spoke, much to his surprise.

"Sasuke, we need to talk." Naruto walked towards the trees, looking back at him, and Sasuke hesitantly followed. He had an idea what kind of conversation would take place.

He hadn't forgotten Tsutomu, and neither had Naruto.

Naruto was pacing, hands behind his back, looking deadly serious once they reached the trees. It reminded him of flashes he'd have of both of them in Team Seven. How Naruto was always so annoyingly persistent, so loyal. A diehard.

Maybe, Sasuke wondered, it was how he had noticed Naruto in the first place. He tried to remember the loud, obnoxious blond boy hidden somewhere in his memories. He remembered little things. Watching Naruto after a spar, seeing the grin on his face. Feeling warm whenever that grin was directed at him. He admired how Naruto never gave up, even if he'd eat his own head before admitting it. And Naruto just knew how to keep Sasuke moving every damn morning, even if it was by taunting him.

And that was what Sasuke remembered the most: the boy who never gave up on him. He wished he could see that boy now-

"We have to do something about the shrine-" Naruto began, slicing through his thoughts.

Sasuke scoffed, abandoning his musings. "Like that'll be easy to do? Naruto, we're being hunted. The Fire Lord wants you dead. Show up at the shrine and who knows what'll happen. Tsunade wants you to stay lost, hidden. We can't just run to-"

"I gave Tsutomu my word! I gave my village my word the minute I took my hitai-ate. We can't just look out for ourselves!" Naruto looked fierce as he said it. Sasuke sighed. Naruto was never one to give up, or back on his word.

The thought brought a painful memory to mind.

_Promise me. You'll trust me, you'll forgive me_, he remembered asking of Naruto.

It would make things easier, Sasuke thought angrily. Suddenly, shadow clones poofed into existence.

"Maybe I can't go there in person," Naruto said grudgingly, "But I can send word." He quickly gave orders, information, and dispatched his clones with a curt nod.

With that, Naruto turned to leave, and suddenly Sasuke couldn't stand it anymore. "Wait, Naruto," he bit out, and the blond stopped short before he broke through the trees into the clearing. He waited.

Sasuke found he didn't know what to say. It made him angry. So he said, "Without the medic nin around, I have no idea how to assess whether or not everything is normal. Are you feeling-?"

"Fine," Naruto interrupted, looking a little crestfallen. "Fine."

Sasuke bit his tongue. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this. A part of him wanted to just reach out, smile coyly and go along for the ride, but it reminded him too much of how he'd acted in Iwa looking for action, and the thought left him strangely ashamed.

Truth was, Sasuke didn't know how to fix what he'd broken. Or even that he'd had something whole in the first place.

* * *

><p>In the dark, Sasuke's face was eclipsed in shadow, and Naruto was grateful for it.<p>

It helped a little, when it was hard to look the bastard in the face without his chest feeling like it was going to cave in. But tonight, after all he'd learned from the Guardian nin, it was easy not to focus on it. Easy to slip into the ninja side of himself, and forget his personal troubles.

This was not the time to think about Sasuke. Not now. Too much shit was about to hit the fan.

He almost wanted to laugh at himself when Sasuke asked how he was doing-or rather, how the child was. Naruto felt his defenses begin to form, and he interrupted.

"Fine," he said, shaking his head. "Fine."

What else would Sasuke want to say to him? he thought. Naruto never said it out loud, never dared to ask, but Kabuto's words, all those weeks ago, and left an ugly, bitter reminder:

Sasuke wanted the child dead. It was possible Sasuke had gotten so close to him after knowing the truth of the child only for that reason.

Fukasaku as well, and Naruto kept a wary eye on both of them. There had been many times the toad had tried to speak with him, tried to appeal to him once more, but Naruto had turned him away. Now Fukasaku seemed older and more bitter. But Naruto couldn't say he disliked the toad's silence.

He wasn't sure what he'd do, how he'd escape them when the time came, but for now, he needed them. For now, he'd stay with them.

It hurt to think of it.

Sasuke was still watching him, and Naruto had paused, waiting for him to say something, do something. He wished, when their eyes locked, that he couldn't feel that insatiable _pull_ towards Sasuke that made being near him sharp and painful and hard to ignore.

Was there anything left for him to expect of Sasuke? he thought. For so long, he'd mourned Sasuke. For so long, he'd felt a terrible hole in his heart and briefly, it had been filled. And now, he'd come to find Sasuke alive again, after being forced to deal with his death. Here with Sasuke, again.

Naruto looked to the clearing, trying to distract himself. He brought angry thoughts to mind.

Sasuke hadn't even told him where he'd been all that time. All Naruto knew was that he'd had an accident following his escape from the Elders, and a concussion had given him memory loss.

Oh, and you know, he'd joined the Brotherhood.

Naruto was about to open his mouth, say something short like "goodnight," but suddenly Sasuke was behind him.

"Stay here and talk to me," came the rough whisper, and Naruto was reminded of a time in Mount Myoboku when he'd asked the same thing of Sasuke. He wanted to shout, laugh at the irony of the situation.

_I asked you the same thing once, and you denied me._

Instead, Naruto shook his head. Sometimes, he wasn't sure how to handle the emotions Sasuke inflicted. Sometimes, he wished it would just all go away, gone with his next breath.

"What do you want?" he ground out, not daring to look behind him. Sasuke's hand caught his wrist, held it tight, and Naruto swallowed, steeling himself. Already, his nerves were fire, his heart on overdrive.

"Tell me what it was like," Sasuke whispered in his ear, and Naruto wondered what he could mean when he continued, "Tell me what it was like on that mountain. When we were together. I need to know."

Sasuke was closer now, closer, and Naruto could feel the fan of Sasuke's breath on the back of his neck. He wanted to push Sasuke away, but he didn't.

"You can't remember?" Naruto asked gruffly, pulling away to escape the heat. Sasuke was quiet for a moment.

"Only a little," Sasuke admitted, and Naruto's thoughts gave way to memories.

_You used to hold me close when you thought I was too asleep to notice_, Naruto thought. _Back on the mountain, you used to talk to me__. Sometimes you'd tell me about your mother, your father, your brother. Once, you told me that story about how you tripped and fell on your face in front of your father and you'd been upset for days. You thought it was one of your most embarrassing moments, even though you were so small then._

_When I laughed, you acted all high and mighty and annoyed, but you laughed too. I would tell you about my days alone. I would tell you things I thought were funny about it, and you'd give me this look, and maybe you noticed you did it, but you always walked closer to me after._ Naruto looked up at Sasuke, still silent.

"It was..." he faltered, throat tightening, and he blinked. Stop it, he ordered himself. "It was good," he admitted quietly. "You know, we were...fine, I guess." Sasuke was watching him closely, and Naruto pretended not to notice.

"Everything's changed since then," Sasuke observed.

Naruto sighed, wincing. He was tired and it was hitting him like a stack of bricks over the head. "I don't want to talk about this right now. There's too much going on and-"

"You don't trust me," was the flat reply. Naruto looked away, and absently, his fingers grazed over the newly subtle, and hidden, swell where the child resided. The child stretched within him, knobby little feet pushing into his side. He'd noticed it often squirmed when he and Sasuke spoke. The movement, the reminder of what they'd created together, was a bitter statement of the past. It was true. How could Naruto trust Sasuke? After all of this? How could he? His hands balled into fists and the gaping hole in his chest returned.

Before he knew it, he was talking, and everything he'd been feeling came up like vomit. "All that time, you were alive. All that time, I thought i'd never see you again. When the Elder's quarters went up in flames, I thought you were gone, and all I could think about was how angry I'd been at you. The last time I saw you, I wanted you to leave me alone, I wanted you gone for lying to me, and then you were. And you made me keep believing it!"

It was what hurt the most. Sasuke said nothing, and his expression remained set in stone, much to Naruto's dismay. He felt that sharp, bitter pain again.

"You knew where I was! You had to have fucking known, because you were there when I lost control. And you saw me at the bar, you saw me, and you didn't say anything. You looked at me like you didn't even know me. Made me think I was freakin' delusional!" Naruto threw his hands up in the air, pacing once more, so angry he wanted to hit something.

Or just hit Sasuke. That would work, too. Sasuke was silent

"Were you...did you keep on being with me just to get at the kid after a while?" he dared to ask.

Silence. Of course. Naruto shut his eyes against a new wave of pain. It was the fact that Naruto had trusted him, insanely, completely.

"You know, I'll never forget when I first saw you. All stuck up and prissy and angry. And I thought, there's a kid who knows what it's like. There's a kid I can talk to. And I only wanted to be your friend," he chuckled. "Later, I only wanted you to see me. Then I wanted you home. More than anything. After that, I only wanted you to love me back." He paused, stopping short.

"But maybe that's stupid. It was like, when you were gone,you were somehow a part of who I was. Pretty fucking lame, huh? But you know what?" He fingered the kunai in his sleeve, grimacing, heart torn.

"I don't need you, and I'm not gonna wait around for you and Fukasaku to put a knife in my back," he whispered. He expected the words to anger Sasuke, make him bite out an venomous retort. Suddenly Sasuke was gliding forward, and Naruto tensed, not sure what to expect.

Sasuke reached into the fold of his sleeve, eyes never leaving Naruto's blue gaze. Naruto tensed, his own kunai sliding into his palm, cold against his fingers and ready. Then with a nimble flick of his wrist, Sasuke sent his kunai flying, straight into the ground by Naruto's feet. It sank into the dirt up to its handle, useless.

Naruto stared at it. It was a surrender. A truce. He swallowed hard. Slowly, he raised his eyes, looked into Sasuke's pale face and straightened his back, masking his emotions.

"I haven't forgiven you, yet."

Sasuke was quiet for a moment, studying Naruto silently before he made his move. Then Sasuke was everywhere. Against his mouth, pressed flush against his chest, their fingers intertwined, having finally found each other. Sasuke was pinning him against a tree, and while Naruto tried to gather his surprise, his thoughts, his elation, his anger. Sasuke said against his mouth, "But you still want me."

There was so much Naruto wanted to say: _Let me go. Don't do this to me. I still love you. I'm trying to forgive you, but it's hard._

He lost himself.

Sasuke was ripping his cloak away, capturing his lips in bruising kisses that would fade into something softer and passionate as their hands roamed. Naruto groaned, letting his head loll back so Sasuke could taste his neck, his shoulders, his jaw, his mouth again. Sasuke's hands ran up his smooth torso, taking Naruto's shirt with his touches.

I'm a goner, he thought bitterly as he reversed their position and pinned Sasuke roughly, lifting his shirt over his head. Already, his body was humming in pleasure at what lay ahead, his arousal thick and full of a heat he couldn't hope to douse unless Sasuke was pressed against him. Their hips bucked, colliding against one another as the touches became frantic, the kisses desperate, and the stars looked so bright, Naruto could still see them behind the black of his eyelids when he closed his eyes in raw abandon. In that moment, he wanted to hate Sasuke.

But he couldn't.

There, in that moment, as they sank to the forest floor together, it was like nothing had ever gone awry. Sasuke's hands gripped his shoulders, and Naruto gritted his teeth, arching into him. They rocked together, and Sasuke never looked away as Naruto held him tight, biting his lip to keep from crying out.

Sasuke whispered, "Naruto..." like it was the only word in the world.

The campsite fires were dead and dying, just a flicker in the distance, by the time they lay on the grass, spent, panting, and too warm. Naruto took a deep breath, breathing in the night and the cricket song and the cool air still damp with rain, but Sasuke was warm and won over the beauty of the night. Naruto breathed him in, something he never thought he'd do again, his nose in Sasuke's neck, their legs still entwined. Sasuke's fingers were still knotted in his hair.

Naruto wondered what he could possibly say now. He closed his eyes, taking a breath, but Sasuke spoke first.

"I didn't know where you were all that time," he said slowly. "And when I saw you at the pub, I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew you somehow. It ate me alive until I remembered."

Naruto angled his head to look up at him, studying him. He cracked a tiny smile despite himself and shook his head, rolling away on his back just far enough to hook his hands under his head without jabbing Sasuke in the head with an elbow. For a few minutes, they listened to the sounds of the forests, side by side, and Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to break this new found peace.

But, in the end, he couldn't help it.

"So," he said, stretching and sneaking a peek, "wanna tell me where you were all that time?"

Sasuke smirked a little, and Naruto thought he could see the Sasuke he remembered, but the body beside him remained silent. Naruto looked up to the sky, wondering if he'd ever know. Then, unbelievably, Sasuke started to talk.

* * *

><p>Alone near the fire, Fukasaku watched through narrowed eyes as Uchiha and Naruto emerged from the woods.<p>

He let out a small sigh of relief.

The two had disappeared long enough to make the old toad consider going to look for them. This far in the game, Fukasaku couldn't afford them splitting off, defying him. He watched uneasily as the two said goodnight to each other, how their words seemed to linger in the air longer than their gazes.

All those weeks as someone else had changed Sasuke. Not a lot, not completely, but just enough to make the boy who'd been buried beneath leak out into the hardened man Uchiha had become.

Fukasaku didn't like it. He'd been counting on that hardened man, on that cold man, on that man without reservation or regret. A new man could feel pity. A new man could see his own flesh and blood beneath the demon once he actually looked upon it. Fukasaku stared into the spitting embers of the little fire he'd made. A moment later, a shadow fell over him. He didn't need to look up to see who it was .

"You're walking a fine line, boy," the toad said lowly. Sasuke Uchiha chuckled and took a seat on the grass. He took out a kunai out and began to sharpen its edges. Fukasaku raised a brow.

Who did this boy think he was?

Sasuke met his gaze as if reading his thoughts. "If I were you," he said lightly, testing the point against his palm before raising his eyes, "I'd be wary of the line_ I_ was walking."

The toad puffed up instantly. "How dare you?"" he croaked, outraged, and Sasuke watched him out of the corner of his eye, twirling the kunai expertly before holding it rigid and straight, the point aiming at Fukasaku's nose.

Fukasaku was too angry to speak. Let alone think in coherent sentences.

_Why that little_-!

"You mean well," Sasuke said quietly, catching the toad by surprise, "I know that. But you can't count on me. When the time comes, the child will face my own judgment."

So it was true; what Fukasaku had feared had come to pass. The toad shook his head sadly. "You've grown too close to Naruto-boy," the toad said wearily. It was just as he had always feared. Perhaps, he thought, it was something that couldn't have been helped.

_Great Elder, help me_, he prayed.

"You don't even love it," he said, as if this cancelled out everything Sasuke had just said.

Sasuke's eyes gleamed, and he grimaced. "I don't have to." With that, he walked away to leave Fukasaku with his thoughts. Just to anger the conservative old toad, he walked right into Naruto's tent with a backwards glance.

Seething, Fukasaku looked back into the embers.

It didn't matter. Didn't matter if the boys had reconnected. What needed to be done would be done, and when Naruto raged and screamed for a justice that had never been earned, Fukasaku would only pray for the end of the war.

One day, Naruto would forgive him. Fukasaku wouldn't lose another student, another boy he thought of as a son, to an ill-cast fortune. He would only be protecting Naruto from a terrible end the child would surely cause. Its birth would only mean Naruto's death.

He prayed for wisdom until he could no longer feel the bite of his anger and sorrow.

* * *

><p>The sake was too bitter, and Tsunade dumped her glass outside, listening to the splash on the grass before pacing her room irritably. The inn that had been chosen for the night was lavish with koi ponds and gardens, beautiful baths, exquisite oil and watercolor paintings, and down beds, but Tsunade didn't care for any of it.<p>

It had been three weeks since she had last heard of Naruto. Even longer since the kid had tried, or wanted, to talk to her. The thought left her angry, hollow. It eventually wore on her mind, until every thought pricked her brain with an image of him.

But it was better this way, she knew. If even _Tsunade_ didn't know the Jinchuuriki's whereabouts, it was less likely he'd be found too soon by the enemy, fates forbid the Akatsuki got a hold of anyone who knew anything.

She was gritting her teeth, not looking forward to the following morning, when a disturbance in the air whispered past her cheek. She acted quickly, but almost fell over in her surprise.

"Naruto!" she hissed, stunned, excited, outraged (how _stupid_ could this brat be? And how was he still so agile!?).

Naruto leaped into the bedroom with a pump of his fist and a shout of "Ha! I win! I found you first!" He looked around the colorful room with its orchids and oil paintings and bright aquarium with shoals of glittering fish and the too large bed with a foxy grin.

He whistled. "Oh, hey, nice digs Granny-"

She seized him by the collar, and nearly lifted him off the ground. He yelped and struggled.

"Careful, geez-!" Any other words he might have said were cut off by a crushing bear hug. And then he sounded like he was choking.

"You stupid, stupid brat!" she hissed, setting him down. "But I'm glad you're alright. What are you doing here? How could you be so _careless_-!"

"Listen, Granny, I don't have a lot of time. And it's not really me, I'm a clone! We're not _that_ stupid, you know!" said the clone with a roll of his eyes. "And I'm _not _careless!" The clone looked fierce. "I made a promise to protect my village the minute I decided to become a ninja, and I'm not about to forget it!" He nodded at this, satisfied with himself.

Tsunade blinked, frowning. Well, that explained why this Naruto didn't seem to be weighed down and was jumping all over the place like the boy she knew without any physical consequences.

The shadow clone waved her away, face twisting in annoyance. "Anyway you need to stop interrupting and let me talk! Geez, so pushy!"

Tsunade resisted the urge to pop the clone out of existence.

"So, anyway," he said again, poking an orchid and scrambling away when the petals fell, but this time the smile melted off his face when he looked at Tsunade fully. A darker expression took hold. "We came in contact with one of the Fire Lord's Guardian nin today."

Tsunade was surprised. She lifted an eyebrow. "All the way out here? There's hardly any trouble." She didn't understand why such a high-ranking nin wouldn't be closer to the Akatsuki or Brotherhood raids.

"Last week some new laws passed. It's supposed to be pretty hush hush until it's all said and done. The Fire Lord's outlawed all sealing jutsus and Jinchuurikis. I'm a dead man if they find me."

Tsunade was too stunned to speak. Her thoughts whirled together in a frantic mess. _How could something like this have been passed?_

But it already had been.

"They want time, and they're hoping this act will foil Madara. They also seem to think this is partly where the issue with villains like Madara stems from. So they're forbidding it. Other things are about to change. Big things, and they're coming for you. They'll be here the day after tomorrow. The Kage meeting is a trap. "

Tsunade's blood ran cold. She demanded more information. Anything and everything.

That night, after the clone had leaped away into the night, Tsunade sat on her bed, staring at the aquarium. At the moon. At the sake on the dresser.

"Did you hear that?" she asked. A hidden ANBU appeared in a far left corner, by the bathroom.

"Don't worry my Lady, it'll never come to pass," the guard assured her, but Tsunade wasn't worried. Not about herself.

"It already has. Listen to me, Naoki. This may be one of my last orders." The ANBU guard immediately began to protest but Tsunade silenced him.

"Anything could go wrong. They might expect us to know if it's discovered Naruto knows of this treachery." She felt herself break out in a cold sweat. Tsunade had felt death's rotting breath on her shoulder before, had stared it square in the face, and yet, this was different.

This was her _Fire Lord_ ordering her death. It felt final. Like a cage she'd been trapped in. Not that she was willing to lie down and show him her neck while she could help it.

"Split the group. Find Naruto. Watch him from a distance. Step in to help Uchiha should they be found. I want him kept alive."

There was a stunned silence.

"But-but my Lady, by protecting him you may allow the child into existence-"

It wasn't as if it hadn't already occurred to her. But Tsunade could only make so many sacrifices. Mei had called her weak, too soft. _"You watch out for that boy like you're his mother! It'll be the end of you!" _the furious Mizukage had screamed the night of the Elder's deaths. Perhaps, Tsunade mused, her peer had seen a part of her she hadn't yet accepted.

Tsunade remembered Naruto saying, all those months ago _Like you know what it's like to raise a child? _She took out another bottle of sake and took a healthy sip. Maybe she didn't know, but she thought of the blond boy she had once given her necklace too. Of the boy she'd watched grow, and had done everything to hide away the past few months, had done everything to fix the problem herself without involving others. He'd turned into a fine young man, and she was _proud. _Just this once, she could say she thought she had a clue of what it could be like. She looked to the ANBU.

"Do it before I take your mask and send you home, Naoki."

With that, she dismissed the guard. Tsunade slipped under the covers of her bed, noticing how soft it was.

For once she found herself appreciating it.

* * *

><p>AN: Long update. Interesting developments, I hated killing Tsutomu even though he only appeared twice but I liked the guy, and why did I take the time to introduce those refugees? What will Fukasaku do? And yay for romance ^_^

Split it into two because, well, in one read it was over 11,000 words xD Going on vacation for a week tomorrow so hopefully this satisfies you until I return, unless I decide to post while on vacation. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Oh, I apologize in advance if there's any spelling/grammar mistakes OR strange words that don't seem to fit in a sentence or make sense. I noticed this problem (the sentences that don't make sense) in a chapter yesterday.

Only I go over this, and sometimes I miss stuff. Sometimes I get it all better if I read it out loud, and I read a lot of this out loud, lol, so hopefully there are minimal mistakes.

**Next chapter: The Temple of Izanami**

Stuff's about to get serious. The Kage meeting is a trap, and a lot of real bad guys are headed to the Temple. This chapter will be the climax of the story. Izanami may also be split into parts due to length.

Afterward, we'll have a final chapter and the Epilogue!


	36. The Temple of Izanami: The Road

_The Temple of Izanami: The Road_

Naruto remembered, when he was thirteen and just as obnoxious, the roads he had traveled with Jiraiya. Sometimes he'd complain all day, just to do it and to see how much of his heckling the sannin could take before that white hair frizzed out and sensei really looked like an angry grizzly bear.

It was his own odd, juvenile way of weeding out potential friends from people who didn't give a real rat's ass. At the time, Jiraiya had been insufferably persistent, and it made Naruto grin on the inside like a fool.

Naruto had had a pattern to his complaining. This road was boring as all hell. It was too freakin' hot. It was too freakin' cold. All Naruto had was that damn pervy sage to throw a moth-eaten blanket at him! What did Jiraiya want Naruto to do, freeze his ass off? Not that he'd be caught dead scooting closer to feel a little warmth. Now the road was too damn long! Who the hell made such a straight road without ever putting a bend in it? God, it was taking _forever_! This was so boring! If they walked any longer doing nothing but walking, Naruto would lose all the muscle he'd worked so hard for and he'd never bring Sasuke back!

Jiraiya had smacked him over the head so hard his eyes had watered, and told Naruto to shut up for once. Cherish the journey when you can, it's the only peace you'll get for now. Know when to respect the road, Jiraiya had said solemnly. Naruto had shut up. He'd turned his head to glare and say something equally annoying because he was in a bad mood, and dammit, that smack had stung! But one look at the man he was supposed to call sensei and Naruto hesitated. His voice seemed to crawl down to his stomach.

In the autumn twilight, Jiraiya had suddenly lost all the funny about him that made Naruto laugh and look at him like that never-boring, crazy uncle instead of a potential father figure he should listen to. It made a silence settle over them like a shroud and stole the sneer from Naruto's face, leaving him humbled and quiet. He'd turned his head, narrowed his eyes, watching the sky. He tried to see the journey instead of the destination.

Maybe he'd been looking too hard.

Then Jiraiya had cracked a grin and shot back, "Tch, not that you had much muscle to begin with! How are you gonna bring back Sasuke with such skinny arms, eh?"

The memory still made Naruto grin. The peace of the journey had been hard to see then, and on this road, it was harder than hell to see now. Funny, how memories of Jiraiya seemed like eons ago. Somehow, Jiraiya was gone and Naruto was older, more alert, more weighted down and battled roughened by war and spite and love. It left him a little hollow, like a part of that once exuberant boy he'd been had chipped, leaving a weariness sleep couldn't cure. He missed the old sage like he would have missed his father had Naruto known him, and a little more of that boy he used to be chipped away to reveal the young man underneath. He looked to the sky.

Even after all the death it had seen, the sky never once changed. It looked exactly the same as it had three years ago: still bright and placid blue. It promised some sort of tomorrow Naruto really wanted to believe in. The type of tomorrow that could bring him a little hope, Sasuke, old friends, and some peace for once.

The sun glared back at him, fierce and defiant from its corner as it sank. If sensei had been alive, Naruto could almost imagine him saying-

"Move your ass! Some of us have children!"

Naruto was jabbed in the side with just enough force to make him hop a little as he broke out of his reverie. His memories snapped clean in two, washing away with the noise of the world he was really in. It burst through his eardrums in a steady roar, the bodies on the road pressed too close and reeking of sweat and dirt and grass.

The sunlight made him squint. He held up a hand up against the dying evening glare, and when it cleared, he eyed the sea he was adrift in warily.

The masses of people made the road seem like a living thing, stretching more than his eye could see if he turned his head. It was so tightly packed Naruto was gritting his teeth at all the closeness. Before them all, finally visible in the distance, the Temple of Izanami loomed like a solemn vow, the pale glint of its marble walls barely visible behind the mist that snaked through the Sun Mountain's forests.

It was so close. So ridiculously close, and somewhere beyond it, Tsunade was waiting grimly for the evening Kage meeting to take place. The thought made Naruto's blood boil, and he clenched his fists, rocked on his feet impatiently, trapped. The tension was licking at him like fire. How long had it been now, he wondered. How long had he stood there, wondering if he could forgive the people closest to him who seemed to betray him at every turn? Now there was no time to wonder. Only act. There was only one way Naruto could act.

He couldn't be there to protect her, to help her, in person. He couldn't be there for old Gramps Tsuchikage. Or Gaara. His stomach twisted, leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He had clones, sure, as many as he dared send off, but would they be enough? He grimaced.

An annoying pressure was building on his shoulder. A hand was gripping Naruto's shoulder so tightly the fingers bit into his skin like teeth. Reflexively, as the line jostled forward a few steps and people screamed and shouted and wept for the Temple walls, Naruto reached back to hold onto those fingers as tightly as he dared. He held on as if the next wave might rip Sasuke away to drown in the sea of gnashing teeth and frightened, dirty faces.

The temple was close, but Sasuke was closer.

Naruto looked over his shoulder, and their eyes met. His hold didn't loosen. Sasuke watched Naruto from under the shadowed brim of his hood, dark eyes glinting, mouth set in a hard line. And of course, making heads turn. It wasn't hard to do when you were Sasuke, and a woman at that. Erring on the side of caution, the two had taken up their more feminine disguises once they'd lost the group they'd traveled with. Fukasaku had wandered ahead, just far enough to appear alone, but close enough to still look back.

Every time Sasuke activated the Sexy no Jutsu, Naruto was always caught, just a little, by how beautiful a womanly version of hardass Sasuke was. No one would have been able to imagine that a man hid behind those rosy thin lips and flawless skin. They couldn't see that underneath, Sasuke still hadn't shaved the stubble off his face, much to Naruto's amusement. He almost missed looking back to lock eyes with that rugged face, the grim mouth, the bright eyes. But being a woman had done nothing to Sasuke's hair, and the black mess was beginning to peek out from the sides of the hood to frame his face, like weeds reaching past cracks in pavement.

Naruto didn't say a word, and neither did Sasuke. They didn't have to. When they were younger, Sasuke had said no talking. We do that with our fists. And Naruto had heard Sasuke say more with a punch and a kick than he'd ever heard his teammate actually say. Somehow, that silent, intimate level of communication had breached even that. It had turned into something that could be read with a single glance or frown or hidden grin. Naruto noticed Sasuke's intensity, his doubt, the way his dark eyes cut into slits as he watched the masses around them. He knew, without having to ask, what Sasuke was thinking.

More or less.

Naruto wondered how much longer he'd be able to look back again and still find Sasuke not too far behind. But that was something he would never be able to find in Sasuke's eyes, or in the way his lips curled downward, just slightly.

The peace between them was so new, so fresh, after weeks of nothing more than the cold shoulder treatment, unsaid challenges, and the enraging thought that Sasuke would continue to betray him. Yet, Naruto had had to grudgingly admit that he had needed more than just himself, and so he bore Sasuke's trailing gazes, bore everything left unsaid. Bore it all until those cutting glances did nothing but nick his skin. The thought of losing it all again, of going back to that, chilled Naruto to the bone, made every move seem desperate and too rushed, their destination a mere daydream that couldn't exist outside of their minds. It had been slow, it had been grueling, but he and Sasuke were yet again on a mutual understanding, some level of trust Sasuke had gained back by finally deciding to let Naruto back in. Still, Naruto hadn't abandoned his wariness. Soon, he thought, it would all go away again, one way or another. How much longer would he have Sasuke beside him-?

Someone to his side tried to knee him in the shin in an attempt to cut past him, and Naruto avoided the kick easily with an irritated grunt, defending his spot in line and snapping his head to the side to look for whoever the hell wanted to mess with him now that Fukasaku had wandered.

Fukasaku had left them alone to gather some insects for a little on-the-go eating. The old toad hadn't been stomaching the energy bars very well. "I'm going to starve," Naruto had heard him mutter, "can't find a fly bigger than my little finger!"

Somehow Fukasaku's absence made their places in line worse. The old toad had kept a lot of scathing remarks and physical jabs at bay. People didn't know how to react to a talking toad. And they certainly didn't know how to react to his angry looks and sharp tongue. But without him just ahead to distract others? It was a miracle someone hadn't yet tried clawing their way through Naruto and Sasuke, just to get a few steps ahead.

Times of war called for desperate measures, and the Temple of Izanami, the people said, was the only safe place left on Earth.

"Are you freakin' blind, lady? Can't you see the line is moving?! Move!" a stick-thin woman behind Naruto shouted, shoving her palm roughly into his side. Inside him, the child kicked awake, and Naruto shot her an annoyed were rising, and every person had been moving with the line for at least the past day and a half.

The woman cowered when Sasuke whirled around to look at her, all white-faced with anger and hissing at her to wait her fucking turn, the line was moving slowly, and there was nothing they could do about it. Some people wouldn't be so nice to her next time, he warned. She blinked quickly, pulled two small boys close. Naruto sighed, cursing, grabbing onto Sasuke's shoulder and pulling him back. He looked at the two scared boys and felt his irritation give way.

He couldn't hold his place in front of two little kids. He shook his head and sighed again.

"Some of us have children, please," the woman pleaded, sofrer this time. Sasuke hissed in Naruto's ear, angry and impatient, when Naruto gently took her elbow, squeezing her and the boys ahead of himself and other strangers.

Those around them spat and booed and Naruto's could feel Sasuke's tension by his side as a man said "tell that whore to wait her turn! The rest of us don't get cuts! Hey, bitch! Did you hear what I said?"

"Thank you," the woman shouted over the din, holding her boys tight.

"Hey, girl!" the man called again, and Naruto turned to flip him off, tell him to shut up and get over it, irritated now by how tightly Sasuke was gripping his shoulder. But he didn't get the chance. Sasuke pulled him close.

"Don't taunt him. I don't feel like flaunting the fact that we're more than we seem. We want to disappear, remember? And stop with the hero act. That's what? The fifth person today you've taken pity on?" Sasuke hissed in Naruto's ear. Naruto frowned, ignoring the new enemy he'd made in line, who was still shouting at him.

"I wouldn't say pity. C'mon. The old man from before had a broken leg, the guy before that had a very sick wife the monks could help And this woman? Those kids-"

"Kids huh? Remind you of anything?" Sasuke cut in. When Naruto pulled a face and said nothing, Sasuke continued, "If she had a half a brain she'd be able to pick out your soft spot and manipulate you to get ahead." He was so close Naruto could feel the brush of his lips scrape just slightly over his cheek. Naruto stood his ground stubbornly, ignoring complaints and outraged cries.

There was the slightest tug on his sleeve, barely noticeable, and Naruto gently swatted away one of the many pickpocketing children weaving through the crowds, not one to part with what little money he had left. But he helped the bar from his pocket when the kid skirted around him again so quickly for his age, had Naruto not been a ninja, he would have never noticed. Naruto had to grin.

Sasuke scowled.

"Like I said," Sasuke insisted, and he grabbed another boy by the wrist before his fingers could slip expertly into a pocket. The kid squealed in pain. Sasuke shot the kid such a dark look the little thief wet his pants and fell on his face when he tried to bolt.

"You're too lenient. You think you helped that kid by pretending not to notice? When he gets caught just think: you could have corrected him. Saved him a couple fingers." Sasuke shook another pickpocket, cursing about the orphans being worse than the mosquitoes.

"And when do you think he'll eat again?" Naruto wondered, memories of a childhood where nights passed with a stomach seeming to concave on itself springing vividly to mind. Sasuke said nothing. His frown deepened, and he fidgeted

"Don't get all noble on me," Sasuke replied coolly, and Naruto snickered at his side.

"You know that bastard side of you actually likes it," he joked, and he was relieved to see Sasuke grin, just a little. But then it slipped from his face as the line moved forward.

Sasuke said, "You always think like that. Like you can actually save them."

It stung, fueled Naruto and made him think of the child, hidden from the world in a safe, dark place. Someone he'd sworn to protect like a reflex, purely because it was what he did. He thought of Tsunade, of the Kages, of Gaara. Of Sakura, and Kakashi, and the Rookie Nine, out there somewhere without him. He opened his mouth to fling something back, but Sasuke was gripping his shoulder, lighter this time, fingers digging into the hollow by his collarbone.

A little contact couldn't soothe him completely, but it did steady him. Naruto let out a breath and bit his tongue.

"But," Sasuke said suddenly, and they moved together in perfect sync like they hadn't parted since their days on Team 7, "You're the most stubborn person I've ever known." There was a laugh in his voice, a little breeze of breath. Sasuke's fingers gripped his sleeve.

The Temple loomed a little closer, and Naruto smiled. Just a little.

* * *

><p>The snake was whispering in his ear. Soft, soothing, reassuring. Norio was helpless to deny its word as the wagon rocked and jostled, working its way over stones on the road. He had jammed himself and a few, trusted men into a small space, hidden in its cargo. The rest of his "army" as the others liked to call it, were stationed nearby, waiting for a signal outside the Temple walls.<p>

Norio squirmed. It was uncomfortable in the crate, and the air was too close. It stank like stale sweat.

The driver was a recent convert to the Brotherhood's cause, and had smuggled the men on the road with other refugees, hiding them in crates along with bales of hay and human cargo.

In his little dark place in the cart, the snake whispered one final secret as the wagon came to a lumbering halt.

_Genjutsu may seem to be the art of a god, but the truth is it's only the illusion of one. In every genjutsu, there is a neat, clear little path. Small, tricky to find, harder to follow, but it is there, and I am here to show you. It's always in a distinct, similar pattern in every illusion, no matter its degree of skill. Like a road on a map._

_The ninja think they have the stuff of gods, but we will show them how mortal they really are. You are a strong man, Norio. If there is anyone who can accomplish such a feat, it is you. Why else would I have been sent to you? However, to fulfill this destiny, you must promise to heed me, every word, or all we've worked for will be for nothing. The ninja will not truly be defeated if you fail to do this._

Norio nodded, steely with resolve. "I understand." The wagon finally came to a complete stop. He gripped the handle of his dagger, and thought of Saiyuri.

"And what of Sasuke Uchiha? How will he be punished?" he rasped out. The snake coiled tighter around him.

_Justice will be had. Patience, Norio. Inside the temple, we will find the Jinchuuriki, as promised, and we will end him, and this war., as promised. But he is more than that. More to Sasuke Uchiha than others could believe. Hidden inside that boy lies more than just a demon. A demon child, already damned, wrought by the powers of the Nine Tails. Sasuke Uchiha has been protecting this hellish child and his lover, but we will kill them all in one clean strike._

Norio was silent as the words punched and registered into his brain. "How is that possible?" He was unsure if he was disgusted or intrigued. Maybe both.

_There are few things out of the reach of a demon_, came the hissing reply._ Fewer still for a genius with ninja skill. It is all for the sake of power, of course._

For a fleeting moment, doubt gripped Norio. Vivid, brutal images of his wife, his Saiyuri, sprang to mind unbidden. They had been so close to meeting their first child. He hadn't wanted to leave the village that week. He'd been too afraid the labor pains would start while he was away, but he'd gone, as was his duty.

Norio tried to imagine Sasuke, Akira, bent over the bloody mess of his not-quite-started family, but instead, Norio only remembered his own. He could remember it so clearly he could almost smell the dirt, the blood, the chicken and the oil Saiyuri had been frying on the stove.

He'd rushed inside, grabbed her. And she was just stirring chicken as the oil popped, calm, singing a tuneless lullaby, blissfully unaware of what had just breached the village walls.

"_Shh, shhh, shhh."_

He'd stuffed her under the floor while she wept, white-faced with fear, pulling up that trap door he thought he'd never have to use for anything but storing odds and ends. She was gripping his arm so tightly her nails had broken his skin. She was pleading, begging him. Hide with her. Don't fight. Please. He'd put a hand to her mouth and ordered her to stop crying.

"_Shh, shh, shhh_."

She'd been so beautiful, even as she wailed when the trap door snapped shut and the monsters crept inside. There were two. One was small, just a boy with skin as dark and gray as a dolphin's, but his left arm was grotesquely elongated and covered in odd, plate-like spikes that sprouted like crystal. The other was large and had fangs like a snake. Once he'd been a man, but Norio could not see the humanity hidden behind his twisted face and scaled tail that thumped on the floor as it dragged.

Its eyes had flicked over Norio with a hiss, and locked on the floor past him.

Norio ran towards it thinking he was going to die as he slashed and yelled, that his blood would cover the sound of Saiyuri's beating heart. The larger one picked him off, and the smaller one skulked in the background dumbly. Norio kept watching for it, waiting for it to take a bite out of his back. Norio had seen it sniffing the air like some kind of animal.

It happened too fast. The scaled monster lunged, pinned him to the floor, tried tearing out his throat with its teeth. It straddled Norio in a death grip, snapping its jaws while Norio held its face, pressing his thumbs into its eyes. He kept it at bay by mere inches with nothing but brute strength.

Its breath had smelled like rot.

He heard a noise, a creak like an unoiled door flying open. He turned his head, just for a second, when a scream rent the air. It was so quick, so sudden, he almost didn't register what he'd seen. Just a fountain of scarlet that splashed on the floor and a soft thud.

He screamed. Screamed like he never had in his life, and popped the eyes of the monster above him in his rage, kicking it away while it blindly fumbled and shrieked. He didn't register thought. Only pain and hate as he stabbed it between the eyes.

The little one was still standing over her, his Saiyuri. It had ripped her open from throat to belly button, its face speckled red. It reached out to her with a long finger as if to stroke her cheek, but the crystals on its arm activated once more and slashed, shot out. The crystals were glowing. Some were embedded in the wall.

The monster staggered then, as if some human train of thought had finally burst into its brain. It blinked dull orange eyes at the mess by its feet. A low moan came from its throat, something inhuman and pitiful. It turned its head to find Norio's gaze, and for a moment, Norio saw a boy he thought he knew as he lunged for it. A boy lost in gray skin, sharp teeth, and a mind that was no longer his own.

Shou, Saiyuri's younger brother, who was supposed to be dead. Just a genin. Thirteen years old. He'd had a knack for mischief. The boy's whole team had vanished weeks before on a C class mission. Gone without a trace. And yet, Norio could see the ghost hiding behind the monster's eyes. He stalled, shaken. Norio's eyes drifted, and he caught sight of the dark mess behind it.

Bile burned the back of his throat.

"I-" the creature who used to be a boy started to say, but Norio slashed out its throat, and then it was just another monster. It kept trying to speak in a gurgle the entire time he beat it. Wanted. She. Please. Finally it stopped twitching and nothing came from its mouth but a slow trickle of blood.

He hadn't been able to look at it after. But some nights, when memories of Saiyuri faded into dreams, Shou's young face still burned the back of his eyelids.

The snake on his shoulders tickled his cheek as it moved, and Norio blinked away his thoughts. "I don't kill kids."

He didn't know why he said it. Akira, no, Sasuke, had killed his men, betrayed the Brotherhood. He could have helped lead the very group that had killed Saiyuri. But for a fleeting moment, Norio paused.

All he saw was Saiyuri and Shou, dead at his feet.

_You would have pity on a man like Sasuke Uchiha? You?_ The snake seemed amused. _Sasuke Uchiha is a_ killer, it seethed. It snapped its mouth and spat a hiss. _Those monsters that killed your family, those people who are no longer people, who do you think helped Madara capture them? Keep them? You would take pity on his cursed demon child?_

Norio gripped his dagger, a rage and pain he knew well swallowing him whole. He tried to imagine Sasuke bent over his dead family, torn apart by the same injustice Norio had had to endure. This time, Norio forgot about his own nightmares. He remembered the faces of dead men, of friends, of boys who just wanted the goddamned war to end.

Sasuke deserved it. All of it. Sasuke was a murderer.

_It is not a child, Norio. An unholy demon will burst from Uzumaki's skin. Would you rather unleash it? This thing will only ravage your world like the ninja and the demons. Will the lives of your wife and child go unavenged?_

Norio closed his eyes. This time, he relished what he saw. He opened his eyes, a good grip on his dagger. "No," he said. The snake seemed to chuckle, in a way that only a snake could, by flicking its tongue, laughter in its eyes, as it curled around his neck.

Outside, Norio could hear voices. He began to count, and he thought of Saiyuri as he waited.

One.

Without the monsters, they would have named their baby Kenta for a boy, after his grandfather. Kiyoko for a girl, for the purity of her new soul. The wagon seemed to do a little hop as the refugees filed out of it.

Two.

The day he'd left for a mission, Saiyuri had laughed at him for being so worried. _Relax. I'll still be here when you come back_, she'd said. She'd held his hand in her small one. Her delicate little hand that felt as fragile as a bird's wing in his own. He could still see her lips moving, the feel of her skin against his. And she had been there waiting for him. For five whole minutes. Some quick words were being exchanged between the driver and a guard, ripping Norio away from the thought. He'd also brought some supplies to take into the temple, if the guards would have a look?

Three.

_"You're not afraid to take risks. To do what you believe in. It's the first thing I ever noticed about you. And when I saw it, when I saw you, I knew. I knew I would love you, because you would make me_ believe." Saiyuri had whispered on the night he'd whisked her away. He'd kissed her, laughed with her, run across a valley to the village of his birth.

Footsteps. Someone was making their way over, and Norio tensed as a crowbar worked the top of his crate.

He sprang and slashed the moment it popped, and the guard crumpled. Someone began to scream. The other crates burst open, and the little group of guards overseeing the south gate were quickly overcome. The refugees scattered.

When he was done, Norio wiped off his dagger on his pants. He looked to the Temple of Izanami and took a breath. The spring air was sweet. There was a whimper, and Norio noticed a little boy cowering by a splintered crate, sobbing at the sight of a dead guard.

"Norio," Huang barked, but Norio held up a finger, crouching before the child. The boy shook, shying away from the snake on Norio's shoulders.

"Shh, shh, shhh." Norio patted the child on the head, ruffling his hair.

"It will all be over soon."


	37. Izanami: The Forest of Graves

_The Temple Of Izanami: __The Forest of Graves_

The sun was setting, washing out the sky until it looked like one of the oil paintings in Tsunade's room. Tsunade stood rigid, hands behind her back, mouth pursed. She had just dispatched another ANBU nin after a status report had been made.

The sons of the toad Gamabunta had been sent for after word from Naruto to aid, but the giants, of course, were nowhere in sight. They would wait for a signal, a call to arms. The other Kages had been informed. ANBU stood alert. The battlefield was still invisible.

It was eerily quiet, and Tsunade's heart skittered in her chest. She thought of Dan, and wondered how much longer she'd have to go without seeing his face. Her fingers instinctively inched towards her neck, only to remember her necklace was gone. Had been for years.

Naruto-

Someone rapped at the door, breaking her train of thought. "Lady Hokage," an unwitting assistant called, and Tsunade looked to Shizune, pale in a corner.

She was at the Hokage's side in an instant. "We could go, flee. Send a team to escort you out safely." Her voice was choked. Tsunade shook her head.

"No. Our place is here. Our comrades will need us. I am no coward, Shizune, and I didn't take you for one, either." Shizune flinched at the sharp words.

Tsunade didn't look away from the sky. "A revolution is coming, Shizune. We must be here to kill it when it does."

She turned, headed for the door, and Shizune followed.

* * *

><p>Temari was standing too close.<p>

The hair on the back of Gaara's neck stood on end, and Temari didn't widen the gap between them. She was like a boulder, unmovable, stubborn. Just as strong. Ever since the incident with the caravan those short weeks ago, she was loathe to part from him. It was the maternal side of her he secretly appreciated.

He flicked thoughts of Suna away, along with hesitant, begrudging thoughts of Naruto Uzumaki. The feel of lips on lips, skin on skin, tight in the other's arms, a taste he never thought he'd experience. The back of his skull, right where he'd split it when the bombs went off, began to throb, and he winced. Three weeks. Three weeks of no word, three weeks of ignorance, of nothing. But the Hokage was adamant.

Naruto might as well be dead, given the silence. Gaara's jaw clenched, and he tried to focus on his brother ahead, on anything.

Kankuro walked a few paces ahead, dark eyes cut to slits. There was something predatory in the way he walked. It made unwitting bystanders socializing at the inn's gardens turn away, pretending they couldn't feel a chill.

They were passing through the gardens, out toward the wild of the mountain, to get to their destination, and still nothing happened. Gaara could feel particles of sand crisscrossing over his skin like a caress, practically quivering in anticipation. But all he heard were the throaty songs of frogs and the trickle of water from the fountains near the koi ponds.

The calm made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Like a chill from the breath of Death was blowing on his neck. He remembered the scary stories. Of angels or phantoms dressed in bone that came for you when your life was up, back when he was small and untouchable, and the nightmares were the closest things to pain he could feel.

But it wasn't his own death he feared.

Leaf ANBU had informed the Kazekage of what was to take place. It had come to everyone's understanding that in a few short moments, the Fourth Great Ninja War was about to turn on its head unexpectedly. It wouldn't be only the nin and Hidden Villages who would stand up to fight and stake a claim. Soon, it wouldn't be just a Ninja War at all. Or maybe it hadn't been for a while now.

The Lords were intent on unveiling a new age.

It troubled Gaara greatly, but not nearly as much as the thought of the order for Naruto's assassination. His steps quickened, and Temari widened her stride to keep up.

It wouldn't happen. Not as long as Gaara stood alive to fight. Grim with determination, he noticed the gentle mountain slope that would lead to the shrine. Wide, open, dotted with rice paddies that looked silver in the oncoming gloom. They pressed on.

According to the leaked information, Gaara nor the Tsuchikage were meant to be killed (and he had to wonder if this was due to the Council believing him to be impressionable because of his age, which bothered him. He supposed the Tsuchikage was valued for other secrets probably more dear than the ones they were outlawing, but that could change), but as he dwelled over the reasoning behind the Council's decision, he was beginning to wonder if they would take the opportunity anyway.

It would give each Great Nation a reason to appoint a new Kage, a good and loyal puppet. Another extension that trailed back to a Great Lord.

He'd been a Jinchuuriki. He'd been exposed to secrets. He knew them. The Council was tumultuous. A decision one day would change "for the better" the next. He knew better than to believe his death wasn't already watching as he approached.

Earlier, Temari had said, "How do they intend to kill us? How? The Lords have exceptional Task Forces, but are they a decent match for a Kage?" She scoffed at the thought.

A mist was beginning to roll through the mountain side, and the Tsuchikage appeared in the distance with his escorts. He looked just as grim and gray, and he nodded solemnly to Gaara.

Gaara tried to nod back, but instead, he only blinked, and his neck jerked a little.

"You are young yet," the Tsuchikage had said earlier. "You still have a good heart. We need that now." For some reason, he thought of this, wondered if the Tsuchikage had meant anything by it (did he also view Gaara as too inexperienced or naive? The thought irritated him). The fog was thickening by the second, and Gaara looked up the sky, expecting to see heavy clouds.

He couldn't see anything at all.

Gaara caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and noticed a man hailing them with a lantern to ward off the fog. Kankuro and Temari visibly reacted to his appearance, but they quickly quelled their unease and kept a cool demeanor.

Everyone was a little jumpy.

"My Lords," the man said mildly. He was dressed in a formal blue yukata, and seemed unimposing enough, with his thin form and bespectacled, scholarly face. He bowed lowly, eyes flicking to the right before he could fully rise. He bowed lower. "My Lords," he said again, at the sight of Tsunade, Mei, and A, the Raikage. His hands were hidden in his sleeves as he bowed, where Gaara's eyes drifted.

Temari and Kankuro watched the man like panthers stalked an antelope.

If he was offended by the wary looks shared by the ninja, the little man did not show it. He only removed his hands with a tight smile, sweeping his arms in a wide arc.

"I am Arata. Secretary to the Fire Lord, who will be hosting this meeting. Shall we? I will escort you to the Sun Shrine." Arata turned on his heel curtly, leading the way, droning on about the mountain's history.

Gaara caught the eye of each Kage as they walked. He watched Tsunade the most and thought_, she knows where Naruto is. Right this minute. She knows where he is._ He knew, because her walk was too serene.

Tsunade already had a leg up. He frowned a little, and finally the fog became disorienting.

"Do not fret, My Lords," Arata said with a cluck of his tongue, "It is the rainy season, and the fogs are most terrible this part of the mountainside during the Spring. We'll arrive at the shrine shortly."

Gaara caught Tsunade's eye then, and they shared a knowing look. They were already in the mouth of the trap.

Beside him, Temari tensed, cursing softly under her breath. The seconds trickled by too slowly, and Gaara's sand began to harden across his skin, more of it whispering out of the lips of his gourd, swirling in little eddies around his head. Suddenly the fog became so thick that Arata disappeared.

The Kages stopped. Gaara stood poised and ready. _Come out, come out, wherever you are._

Then it happened.

A blast to the left sent someone screeching, and Gaara instinctively shielded his party with a hard casing of sand. But whatever had gone off ate through it until his sand crumbled away into dust motes. His gut clenched in dread when he heard Tsunade yell,

"Don't stray from the path, it's acid!"

For a moment, the Mizukage seemed to wipe the mist away. The rice paddies around them began to surge, their surfaces exploding and shooting volcanic-hot jets of acid into the sky. The fog couldn't be quelled, and Mei cursed, battling with it.

With the fog, they might as well be trapped in a minefield. Someone was screaming, having probably been splashed, and Gaara's sand flew overhead. Another jet shot upward, but he encased them all, having to constantly render it.

He could feel beads of sweat trickling down his neck. He began to notice a rotten, sulfur-like smell.

A was cursing violently. "It's letting off a gas. The user of this jutsu can't be too far off, if we can find-"

"We can't just go and run off," Mei yelled, still trying to manipulate the fog. At that moment, unseen shuriken glinted a little too late, impaling some of the escorts.

"Shit!" Temari blasted away some of the fog cloud with a forceful wind from her fan, deflecting some of the deadly little stars at the same time.

Another paddy went off, and Gaara blocked off its spray, also using little tentacle-like strands of sand to block shuriken and fling them back. He heard a few satisfying grunts as they traveled back to their owners.

The Tsuchikage shot upwards, attempting to fly up past the mist and get a good look at where the opposing ninja might be. Gaara waited, watching Tsunade and A on the defensive, with Mei and Temari trying to give them a little leeway, but each time they cleared a little fog, they had mere seconds before it rushed back in.

Beneath the rotten stench, Gaara was beginning to smell burned flesh. The screams seemed to blend into one long wail.

"We can't do this for too long! The paddies are going off too quickly!" Temari shouted, coughing and staggering.

Another paddy exploded, and Gaara felt a chill when he heard his brother's cry. Short, and piercing. For a second, only a second, the sand wall protecting his back collapsed as he looked around wildly, the effects of the gas already taking hold, making him lightheaded and sluggish. The world seemed to slow, every movement amplified with his too-loud heartbeat.

He thought he heard Temari scream.

"Kankuro!" His shout was swallowed by a roar, as a rice paddy mere feet from him exploded, throwing him back with the blast, a shower of acid eating at the hem of his cloak, through the sand on his skin, and up. The world seemed to spin away, and he was burning, burning, burning.

He writhed, yelled, but he couldn't see beyond the fog. He thought he could hear someone calling his name. Through the blur, a figure shot out of the mist, and Gaara felt himself lifted, right at the moment another paddy exploded. Giant, mottled shapes appeared in the corner of his vision. They stood like shadows, like guards, and when another paddy went off, the acid was kept at bay.

Gaara closed his eyes wondered if Kankuro was alive.

This was all wrong, he thought. All of it. They weren't supposed to be pushed back like this. Trapped like rats where they couldn't see or hit their enemies. And the person Gaara wanted to see before it all ended, wasn't the person who had saved him from his own mistake. But it was, and through the haze, Gaara looked into the bright eyes of Naruto Uzumaki. The yellow hair popped against the fog, his tanned skin looking like it had never left the glare of the desert sun. Nothing about Naruto looked any different.

Gaara wondered if he was dead, and then he remembered he was burning. His eyes snapped open wider, and he gasped, chest heaving. Again he could hear the screams, the explosions. He could see the toads spitting jets into fountains of acid in the distance, turning them to pillars of fire instead of a spraying rain.

"Hey, Granny!" A husky voice yelled, and Gaara knew that voice so well.

"Naruto?" he croaked, and he was lowered, placed before Tsunade, who'd been working on A's burned arm. Gaara cried out as Tsunade worked on his side, and all around them the world burned, exploded, swallowed by clouds.

"My brother," he tried to say, but the words only formed a rock in his throat, and he choked on them.

The pain began to ebb away, just a little. He heard Tsunade say, "The acid works fast, he would have lost a leg if you had been a few seconds later." Her voice sounded too thin. Her fingers shook and fumbled

"- the fog is disorienting, and the gas makes it worse as it rises-" Gaara heard the Tsuchikage say tiredly.

His vision cleared, and Gaara looked up at Naruto, standing over him and sharing quick, heated words with those around him.

A clone? Gaara wondered, trying to regulate his breathing, and the ache in his chest.

"-Already have my guys picking some off in the trees. We haven't found the acid-user yet, but we'll get 'im-"

"-Can't keep this up forever," A was saying, "Fucking cowards! They know they're outmatched if they face us head-on. The technique's gotta wear off soon. This is eatin' up the user's chakra to keep it goin'-"

"We don't have time to wait for it to end!" Tsunade barked. "If we wait this gas will pick us off."

The Tsuchikage turned to the clone, who'd grown silent, eyes closed. "Naruto! You have more clones stationed around the area, out of the fog. Use the memories of those felled to make a path out of here. You're the least affected by the gas," the Tsuchikage coughed out.

The clone grinned, cracking open an eye. "Already ahead of ya, Gramps!"

At that moment, another clone appeared and said with a laugh, "Follow the leader!" Quickly, Gaara was yanked upright, the calloused hand of the clone pulling him to his feet, looping Gaara's arm over his shoulder. He could feel the clone looking at him, and he wondered what it could be thinking.

"Wait, Kankuro-"

"Is he good to go?" Naruto shouted, and Gaara's words went unheard. He groaned in pain.

"He should be fine," Tsunade interrupted, and the clone pulled away too quickly.

"Kankuro-" Gaara said again, but yet another paddy exploded. Someone started to assure him that everyone was accounted for, though Gaara couldn't see who said this. He tried to look for Temari, but couldn't find her in the haze. His heartbeat quickened, and he thought of her, gone with a rush of acid. In the fog he had no way of knowing if this was true.

_Where was Temari?_ He didn't have time to look around before the group was on the move, and he was pulled forward, yanked, tugged. He didn't want to move. His left side burned in a way he'd never experienced. It was hotter than fire as it tried to heal, splitting his skin at the seams...

The paddies weren't going off as quickly. Now there were lulls between explosions, silences louder than a scream. The group twisted, turned, ran headlong through blinding fog, deflecting exploding tags, shuriken, and thrown kunai, a toad behind them. Each time, they came upon a new clone who'd been waiting for them.

The enemy was beginning to realize the Kages were coming through the fog, that the toads had split. Naruto's clones were zoned in on, but he was quick. The current clone they'd been following suddenly got a shuriken through the neck, and he popped out of existence.

Suddenly, the fog was gone. It cleared so quickly Gaara blinked, disoriented, as if coming out of a trance. Before them loomed the thick border of a forest, already blackened with evening shadows.

It was quiet.

Anger made Gaara's pulse beat through his skull. "They will keep attempting long ranged attacks," he observed in a rough voice.

_Where were Temari and Kankuro?_

"Why go through all this trouble when they could have just poisoned us at the meeting?" Mei wondered. Tsunade chuckled.

"Haven't met anyone yet who could get away with spiking my drink-"

"Argh!"

Another clone and a Sand nin to the left made a choked sound and fell, the sand nin's throat cleanly cut. A maelstrom of blades rained down on the party, but Gaara's sand and a toad's katana took the brunt of the attack. The other clones immediately went on the defensive, creating a Rasen Shuriken between them, blue eyes searching.

"Come 'ere!" They laughed as they lunged.

* * *

><p>High in the canopy, hidden in shadow, the elite task force gathered by the Lords watched their prey will tactical cunning.<p>

"They're still disoriented," observed one. "The gas has weakened their wits. Just enough."

A nin dressed in Leaf ANBU garb clucked like a disappointed mother hen through his frog mask. "It's almost pathetic to watch. But it's still amazing, isn't it? The type of men and women hidden for so long in the Council's task force? I'd have never guessed. All right. Keep herding them in. Looks like all we got for the Jinchuuriki is clones still, but there are at least ten left standing." He watched the remaining group of clones after the others had hard-hit some of the Task Force nin, killing at least half of the group herding them towards the trap.

What a treat the Jinchuuriki was.

"One might yet be him," Yuu said, mostly to himself, "given how many flocked here. Intel might have been correct. Still...Has the team headed to the Temple arrived yet?"

"Not yet," droned his companion.

Yuu hummed behind his mask. "In that case, we should hurry. How close is Arata to finishing the landscape?"

His partner checked, relaying a message and listening hard at the answer. "Done."

Yuu shifted his weight, anxious. "No need to stall any longer. Move them in."

He hummed a song as they sped through the trees. Some old tune he'd made up with his sister, when they were little and used to go splashing in the river on hot days, pretending they couldn't hear Mother calling. He'd promised her once when she dying and cold that he'd never actually forgotten it, and he'd sang to her when she died.

It was the first time he'd thought of home, or his dead sister, in months. He couldn't remember the words to the song now, only the tune, and it made him think as he watched the clones and the Kages make their way through the trees.

One day, he mused, they'd be gone just like those words. Someone would forget, and there'd be nothing left but bits and pieces and misplaced memories of saviors that would fade away to legend, heroes or villains that only existed in bedtime stories.

He wondered who, in this new future, would remember this war, and its soldiers, for what they were instead of just the half-truth fragments they would become.

Yuu almost hesitated.

Almost.

* * *

><p>Gaara was saying something, but his words were lost, muffled against the clone's neck. His voice was so deep. Naruto could feel the murmurs vibrate against his skin. Suddenly, memories popped into the clone's mind. Pictures, bright and too fast and loaded with old feelings.<p>

The loss of Sasuke. God, God, how much longer would he feel like this? Like he'd lost a limb or someone had scraped away half of his insides? He couldn't relive this feeling of losing someone dear to him, not again, not with Sasuke. Betrayal. The word made him sick, so sick he thought he was going to throw up. Had there truly been nothing redeemable about Sasuke Uchiha? Gaara's words. Gaara silent at his side. Gaara smiling. Friends, is that what they were? Good friends. A trusted friend. But Gaara was a liar. Gaara's mouth against his own. No, no, it was his doing, not Gaara's. Gaara sighing, gripping him tight. Trying to prove a point. Did he take it too far? Gaara wasn't Sasuke. Empty. Naruto felt empty. Then angry. He was so angry with Gaara, with everyone. Maybe, maybe, Gaara had never been the friend Naruto had thought he was. Maybe Sasuke had never been-

They were memories of the real Naruto and thoughts of the clones, blending into one dizzying picture. The clone shook it off, gripped the Kazekage tighter and pulled him more swiftly. He shot a quick glance at the toads, watching the pillars of fire erupt like a tongues of flame from a dragon's mouth.

"Leave this to us," Gamakichi had instructed. "You get to the Kages. We will aid you when we can. For now, we will keep the worst of the attacks at bay."

"Temari, Kankuro," Gaara said finally, and the clone grit his teeth. He could see it, so clearly, from the thoughts of one of the returned clones. Swallowed whole, burned alive. Not even a bone left to bury. Gone in an instant.

Kankuro was dead.

"Don't-don't-" someone had tried explaining to the clone before it had vanished, "Not yet. Get the Kazekage to safety. There will be time to mourn, but not yet."

There was more to the memory. Temari, going after an enemy nin in the trees, enraged. She was trailing behind them now, her fan streaked with blood. She'd fought with tears streaming down her cheeks, but had never once made a sound. Not seen, but alive. She wouldn't leave Gaara, not even to go after Kankuro's killers.

And then the memory ended, leaving the clone with all he needed.

"Soon," the clone said gruffly, feeling heavy and useless at his own words. Gaara seemed to think this ensured his siblings' lives, and grew quiet. The clone chanced a quick glance at the ruined side of the Kazekage. Granny had done her best, and she'd done a damned good job, but the flesh eating acid took longer to heal. From a rip in Gaara's clothing, the clone could still see how pink the skin was as it tried, repeatedly, to repair itself. There would be scars.

How much longer? How much longer would the Kazekage limp along like this? It made them slower. Much more of a target.

The clone's breath hitched, and he cursed. Another clone down. Now there were only nine. They picked up the pace. The plan was simple. Push the enemy out of the trees. Gain the upper hand, force their opponents into closer combat. Get the injured out of the way.

It was evening now. Pools of shadow and twilight ink gave the forest a sinister appearance. The way the trees bent and swayed, their branches could have been teeth, forming a vicious maw they were plunging right through. Every sound was the Guardians. The snap of a twig. A quick breath.

_Closer, closer, closer. Don't die, don't die. Only nine of me left._ He laughed at that thought, pulled Gaara up a little, and wondered about his real self.

Were they through the gate yet?

"Naruto," Gaara finally gasped out, and the clone stopped thinking.

"Almost there," he promised, zoning in the battle-bloodied thoughts of a brother cloneand Gaara shook his head against him.

"Where are you?"

The clone grimaced, getting the meaning. "Somewhere safe."

"All this time, I've been wondering...We could help you, Naruto. I could help you."

It was a tempting thought; Gaara, in all his sincerity. He could be true, real. Maybe even someone who'd stick to his word. Maybe they could all find a way out. Maybe, maybe even in the end, he'd still have Sasuke by his side. Not too far behind. Just a look over his shoulder away...

But it was a silly thought, a fantasy. There was no way out. There was no way to keep everyone together. No way to truly keep friends who'd never be satisfied with just that. There was no way to know what Sasuke would really do when the time came, because to Sasuke Uchiha, there was only Naruto, and the rest of the world.

To the clone, to Naruto, there was only Sasuke, the kid, and the end of Madara, _for_ the rest of the world. It was jarring, to wonder if you were truly alone, but not as jarring for someone like Naruto Uzumaki, who had always been alone.

Except for Sasuke. The clone shoved the thought away.

"Don't worry, we're gonna get you more help for that leg," he distracted himself by saying, and Gaara paused to look up at him, noticing how quickly the clone had brushed off his words.

"You could come with us, when this is over. I could protect you."

The clone shook his head. "No, I really can't. And I don't know if you could. Not in the way you think. But, Gaara?"

Gaara said nothing. Only waited.

"You've been a real friend, you know?" He realized his voice sounded rough as he said, "And I shouldn't have-"

Gaara cut him off. "Don't put this all upon yourself. I shouldn't have been so transparent, when I should have just been your friend. That was all you needed."

Night began to settle, and the group moved faster. It was quiet, and beyond them, they knew something was about to happen.

"If I don't see you again after this," Gaara suddenly said when they stopped, and he pulled himself away from the clone, standing tall, pushing away the clone's helping hand.

"If I don't see you again, I just want you to know that if it hadn't been for you, I would have never been able to see past what I thought I was, and I wouldn't be standing here now if it wasn't for that. Thank you. And I hope that one day, I can somehow repay you for everything you've done."

The clone bashfully shifted his weight. Geez, leave it up to impending death to squeeze the sissy out of everyone! He grinned though, touched the back of his neck shyly and slapped Gaara on the shoulder.

"I'll see ya again. Believe it." He grinned like he meant it, because he did. At that moment, a light shone out of the darkness, and the clone met Tsunade's eyes. She looked tired, worn, determined. Sad.

He should say something to her. Something meaningful like Gaara's thank you. He'd felt divided from her for so long, Been angry at her decisions, had not wanted to see the reasoning behind it, or believe that she could really still care after it all.

She was still his Hokage, who stood for his village, for his freedom, for the lives and ways of the ninja, and he would still die for that. She was his Hokage, who sometimes made him feel like he had someone who cared for him (kind of) like a violent mother,or maybe just a cranky old grandma. He could have told her this. Cleared the air a little. But all he could do was smile his war smile, and hope that she could see it on his face.

He thought she did, because she smiled back at him, and there was something of a silent agreement between them.

His thank you, despite everything, didn't go unheard. At that moment, while the group plotted, the clone felt a vast presence. He tensed, but it was for nothing. Out of the trees came the ANBU and other jounin, and the clone's grin split.

Among them was the Rookie Nine. Some of the others who'd been trailing Naruto in Suna had been called back to look after the Hokage. There was Sai, a little paler than usual but with a purpose in his step, and Sakura, who smiled at him like it wasn't a war they were about to fight, but a spar she was confident about. Something about her had changed slightly since he'd been gone, and she looked at Naruto like he wasn't someone she had lost, but a friend she'd always had.

Then came Shikamaru, Neji, Ino, and Hinata and Kiba. Choji behind them and TenTen. Even Kakashi sensei and Yamato. Everyone was here, the clone realized. Everyone save for….well, except for his real self and Sasuke. But standing here amongst his comrades, the people he called friends, made the clone feel like he _was_ real.

He smiled at them all, greeted and hugged and fist bumped and high-fived, the other eight clones behind him. It made the others believe he was real, which is just what he wanted. The Kages didn't say a word.

The small light in the distance shone brighter. It bobbed as the owner of the lantern walked steadily closer. Temari appeared out of the dark and stood by Gaara, who instantly looked around for Kankuro.

The clone frowned. A thin, bespectacled man came forward, illuminated by his lantern. He was unarmed. Beside him, Gaara whispered, "Arata. He was our escort to the shrine."

"My Lords," Arata greeted in his reedy voice. "I come to deliver a message. It would be in your best interests, in your people's best interests, to stand down. How unseemly it is, to stand divided from your kings, from your countries, so selfishly when you know you can end this. Come peacefully, come quietly."

Tsunade scoffed. "Maybe it is your king who is the selfish one." The lamplight danced across her face, gave her a mean mask that made Naruto shiver in anticipation of the fight ahead.

The clone clenched his fists, fidgety, eager to say something. One of his brother clones gripped his wrist, keeping him from walking forward.

"Wait," it said, "let's see what he's gotta say."

Arata watched the group with a dispassionate eye. He held a bland expression, one of boredom and mild annoyance. He began to cross his arms, hiding his hands in his billowy sleeves.

He sighed. "I knew there was no way to do this quietly. Very well-"

"His hands, his hands! Dammit you dumbass, his hands!" one of the clone's brothers hissed, and they both lunged.

The clone shot forward to grab Arata's wrist so quickly, so tightly, the other man balked, paled, gasped out in pain. But Shikamaru had already entangled him in shadow binds.

"Don't do this," the clone growled through his teeth. "Maybe you don't realize what's at stake here."

The little man gasped again as the clone squeezed. Behind Arata, clones were standing at the ready, Akamaru and Kiba had their teeth bared, and Neji and Hinata were at the front, Byakugans activated. If Arata so much as scratched his nose, he'd be dead, and he knew it.

"So this is their acid user," A guessed from the back.

"There is a lot of concentrated chakra in his arms," Hinata answered, but Neji frowned, taking a step back and gently reaching out to Hinata to pull her away.

"Something isn't right-" he began, "Look at how it's building up-"

"You don't need to take innocent lives," the clone said, diverting his attention back to Arata. "This isn't a way to peace. It'll just lead to more suffering, more division. It's not the answer!"

Arata shook his head. "Ah, how I remember the days of my youth. I was young and optimistic once. But don't you see? With a new order, we'll take care of men like Madara, we'll have more of a handle on our people. Less war. Less death. Isn't that what you want?"

The clone was silent, but hadn't lessened his grip. "You tell your king he'll create nothing but a divided nation. He'll only bring more war. If that's what he wants, we'll give it right back to him."

"But your king is my king," said Arata quietly. "And it doesn't matter. Because we're all going to die."

"Naruto!" Neji shouted, and the clone released Arata like he'd been burned. Seconds passed like an eternity. Arata smiled weakly, even as his skin began to glow.

"I trust you remember the Leaf Elders had a most interesting suicide seal," he whispered, and the clone's eyes widened.

"Coupled with my nature manipulation, I'm sure you'll come to respect what I've done with it, in the seconds before you die. Unfortunately, my twin's technique was not enough...but we must do whatever we can to ensure that you, and your Kages, do not survive."

Tsunade activated her Yin seal, A's fists glowed blue, Gaara's sand shot up in a whirlwind, the clones made ready to charge, and the Tsuchikage attempted to conceal Arata in a cube before it was too late.

But it already was, and as the cube encased him, glowing white, Arata looked the clone in the eye and murmured, "Forest of Graves."

He convulsed, melting away as the Tsuchikage's technique began to eat at him, and then the earth rumbled and roared, and the clone knew the end was near. He reached for Gaara, for Tsunade, for his friends, called their names and threw an arm over his eyes as a bright light exploded.

The ground split, trees shrieked, and the landscape changed with each step. An impaling tree that imprisoned a nin with roots and constricted until he turned blue, jutting boulders, hills that rose and fell and cascaded and crushed, all with amazing speed as the very forest entombed itself.

Neji was thrown, chest impaled, Hinata screeched after him as the group attempted to run, run, run, because now it was all they could do. Run for the edge and hope. The toads scooped nin up in their mouths and leaped for the forest's edge. Sakura burst through trees and rock with incredible strength, Sai's ink creations spilled from blank parchment in a dark fountain, scooping up stragglers and hurrying to the edge. Tsunade's seal, Naruto noticed, was repeatedly healing others, even those caught in death traps, which made for an even worse end, over and over and over.

Chaos. It was chaos. And it only lasted moments. Seconds, really. Not more than a minute or two.

The Mizukage attempted to stall oncoming attacks using a lava technique, and the clone watched in horror as the ground unexpectedly, without any warning, split beneath her feet and sucked her down whole.

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

Gaara was yelling for Kankuro, and Temari was pulling him again, and the clone felt three more of his brothers disappear. Tree root through the head. Slipped down a crack in the earth. Crushed between two boulders.

He ushered Gaara, Temari, any others he could, towards the edge. Hills were rising, rocks were scaling, all to trap them inside for the final act. The Elders technique had erupted their area of attack in fire with an explosion, kept the area white hot to keep its prisoners inside.

Arata's version was taking a different turn.

The clone shouted, ran, grabbed, pushed the others to the toads, screamed as Tsunade paused to grab A, who's ankle had been caught, the trees rapidly constricting and imprisoning him with roots and sharp branches. A angrily waved her away, using his fist to try and break through. Ahead, the path became blocked as a tree snaked across the way, branches reaching like snakes. Gamakichi used a katana to hack and slash, as the others attempted water jets to cut through the rising forest.

"We're dead if we cannot break through!" the toad shouted, as the tree slowly formed into a knotted prison wall. A leapt at it with a hoarse cry, and the other nin flew at it, hitting the wall with whatever jutsu they could impact it with. Tsunade tore at it.

The ground rose and fell. The clone slashed and cried out and threw rasengans at the branches that kept reforming. Then the clone saw her, his Hokage, make a last minute decision as she looked at the small group of surviving nin, at the death around them, and finally, at him.

He wanted to call out to her. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.

She leapt forward with a guttural scream, fist slamming into the trunk so forcefully it sprayed into splinters. It gave them enough time to break through.

Not much longer, not much longer, so close, so close. Stay alive! The clone could see a break in the trees up ahead. A little evening sky painted pink.

Another tree broke free from the ground, rising and twisting with an ear-splitting shriek as its bark bended and moved. Seconds, the clone realized. They had seconds before another wall formed, maybe a minute before they were entombed. He began to form a rasen-shuriken in those seconds, but he felt himself shoved aside, and he grunted, confused, as he skidded over the ground, rolling to regain his footing. He looked up, mouth going slack.

"Tsunade!"

"Go! We'll clear a path! You're here. You must keep at least one clone alive." And she'd meant it, when the clone attempted to pry her away. A was attempting to rip the branches from her body. She was holding it, the tree, with nothing but her bare hands. Its bark was beginning to criss-cross over her, like filaments of silk forming a cocoon. Blood ran in little rivers down her arms from where its splinters had gouged her skin.

Her eyes were wild. "Get them out of here." Another tree erupted through the ground then behind her, sprayed the forest floor crimson with her blood as It formed an arch with the tree the Hokage had been holding.

The clone screamed.

She just looked at him, blinked, coughed. Her yin seal was still activated, and he noticed, amazingly, how the energy was aiding them all. She was rapidly aging before his eyes. Had been.

The worst had not happened. Another wall began to form, one red as the Hokage's blood.

In seconds, the forest began to petrify, and the forest of graves became a tomb. The clone was rooted to the ground. One. Two. Three. Four clones. Gone in an instant. A nin beside him tried to yell, but instantly turned to stone.

He turned his head, opened his mouth in an 'o' and counted. Just himself, and one more. HIs eyes bugged, wide and afraid, even though for him, there was no true death. And he wondered what real pain might feel like as his legs turned to stone. He watched as Gaara and a few others slipped through the edge with the toad's aid. The last remaining clone turned to look at him before it slipped away.

The clone turned his gaze to look at his fallen comrades. Nodded in a silent and respectful farewell as the Kages petrified.

"You can't kill us!" he shouted, thrashing one final time, as if someone might yet be listening. "Not like this!" He turned his gaze to the sky as his body turned to stone, and he vanished with a thought.

* * *

><p><strong>AN and Previews:** so you know it's actually there and coming (Izanami turned out to be...quite long). I'm still tweaking. There's 3 left, unless I split it up differently. I write them in Google docs and transfer them over here. Izanami and the rest is one giant document.

...

"I've only ever wanted to do the right thing. For everyone. You know? The world can't just be black and white. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if I didn't grow up thinking like that. Sometimes I think, if that had happened, me and you would have been different. I wouldn't be here. Not with you."

Sasuke watched him closely.

"Do you think it would have been better that way?" Sasuke asked finally, lowly. Naruto chanced a glance at him, but Sasuke wasn't looking at him.

...

Sasuke eyed him like the animal he was. A starved predator out for blood as he whispered his name, "Kabuto." The Jinchuuriki's clone widened his stance, and on another night, Naruto and Sasuke might have looked formidable. Daunting, even.

But all Kabuto could see were the dead boys they both would become once the night was over.

* * *

><p>AN: That's that. Review if you have any thoughts. It's time for me to start updating again. I tweaked this and worked on it for quite a long time..my biggest concern was letting characters die in anticlimactic ways, or too easily. Hopefully it doesn't feel that way here, or as we continue on.


	38. Destiny's End: Part 1

_The Temple of Izanami: Destiny's End_

In the Forest of Graves, Yuu traced a finger along the petrified cheek of the Raikage. It was rough, scratching against his skin.

Even the ground had hardened to stone. He let out a low whistle. "Who would've known," he said to himself, scraping a foot along the rock.

It was really too bad they had lost both twins in the process.

Three out of five Kages were now dead, but the Jinchuuriki had other plans, it seemed. Yuu hummed thoughtfully. Whether or not Tsutomu had been telling the truth remained a mystery. One final Uzumaki clone had escaped the forest, and now there were multiple trails.

There'd been sightings apparently. An old man in some village Yuu couldn't remember the name of had seen a blonde kid at his village market, all mysterious and cloaked. The local police had arrested and detained him, only to discover he was not Naruto Uzumaki. There'd been a riot. Another woman claimed Naruto Uzumaki was holing himself in her inn.

All the Task Force found was an unstable, stocky man who'd dyed his hair a shocking shade of dandelion yellow, claiming to be Naruto Uzumaki, and begging to be taken into custody. They'd left him, wallowing and wailing, at in the inn while the innkeeper raged and begged the Task Force to escort the man out of her building. Naruto was in Rain Country. Naruto was in Grass Country. Apparently, Uzumaki had also been sighted in Suna, at a local pub a while back.

There was no way to know if any of it was true.

Similar sightings spread like a plague, and a huge pain in the ass. Uzumaki was everywhere. Here a hero, there a villain, a coward on that corner, a hidden vigilante by the next. To add to it, a young man rumored to have a likeness to Sasuke Uchiha had been sighted in a little village called Iwa, but the Uchiha was the last of the Task Force's worries, and the criminal would be brought down in time, if he truly wasn't dead.

The only place left for ghosts and cowards to hide was the Temple. Word of a talking beast had reached his ears, but it was not surprising; The Toad Lands had been ravaged-

"Sir, the Brotherhood's at the Temple."

Yuu stopped his train of thought. He hummed again. "The Brotherhood," he repeated slowly, fixing an eye on the bisected stone remains of the Hokage.

"Yes. We have a man down."

Yuu frowned. "Then it appears we have found Uzumaki at last. Perhaps we will finally come to know his secrets." He turned to his comrades with a knowing look. They scattered.

* * *

><p>He was dying.<p>

Naruto could feel it, inching over his feet and crawling up his leg, like a snake, strong as a demon's hold and God, oh God, it was over.

"You can't kill us! Not like this!" He shouted, thrashed, enraged, vicious. Around him the world turned to stone, gray and dead. No, no, no! He wouldn't end like this. And in his desperation he suddenly felt detached, like there was nothing to root him to the ground. It frightened him, to feel like he was nothing, nothing more than mist rising up from the ground. He wondered why he couldn't feel the child inside of him. Like there had never been anything there.

The world groaned as the forest's tomb spread. He struggled. It was useless.

Not like this. He wasn't dying like _this_-

Naruto started awake, woke to dark eyes hovering above him, watching him closely, like he was a storm brewing over the mountain.

"Just me," Sasuke said quietly. "Just me."

Sasuke was gripping his hand, Naruto noticed in his haze, and he looked away from the fingers twined around his palm, releasing himself from Sasuke's hold with a wince. He could almost see the heat rising off his skin. He closed his eyes, took a breath.

The last thoughts of his clone came rushing into his mind. He saw Tsunade gouged by trees. He saw Neji struck through the chest. He saw Hinata snatched up by a toad and swallowed as she screamed for her dead kin.

He saw Gaara. _If I don't see you again…Thank you_, the vision whispered, and Naruto groaned. He could see the smirk, the sad smile, a final goodbye. He wished he could have spoken to his old friend.

It would be the last time, in nearly twenty years, that he would see Gaara, see many of them, again. But Naruto didn't know this. And so he only resolved to do something about this sacrifice. That soon, as soon as he was able, he would _act._ And he was restless, so restless his skin began to itch, and it was like there was a bomb tucked away inside. _Tick tick tick, _and if he didn't do anything about it soon, he'd explode. He couldn't sit here. _had_ to-

"Relax," Sasuke was saying, and Naruto grit his teeth, tried to calm his racing heart and the angry heat that threatened to tear into his consciousness. The anchor was Sasuke's hand, cool against his own once more, and Naruto thought he could remember two red eyes, swirling above his own, from some time ago.

_Look at me,_ Sasuke had said once. Naruto looked. He wondered how his father had handled his mother, and wondered if if had felt anything like this. Like looking into eyes that rooted your rage. Their eyes locked, and Sasuke sighed, sliding a thumb over the cut of Naruto's jaw in a tired, familiar way. Like he'd always been doing that.

It was then that Naruto remembered he couldn't act at all, not now, and he looked away resentfully. Later, he would lie awake and wonder about that stab of resentment, of guilt, because he had chosen this path himself.

_A red moon will still rise, _the Great Elder had warned.

Against Sasuke's silhouette, Naruto could make out the walls of the room they were in, gray in the dark. The snores and sometimes-moving bodies of refugees that covered the floor of the offering room for Izanami. The goddess's statue stood overhead, ever-seeing eyes set in stone. She was beautiful and frightening and mysterious. Just like death, just like birth.

The child moved, and the Kyuubi rumbled. Sasuke's hand was still cool against his, and Naruto was grateful for that.

"Tsunade's dead," Naruto ground out. Sasuke was silent, but he didn't move his hand. It was better than someone saying, _Oh, I'm so sorry,_ and Naruto sighed deeply. Somewhere a child cried, mewling for its mother. Naruto watched Sasuke glance around the room.

There was nothing to say. Only a knowing look to spare. A touch. A bridge that connected them both and offered a little reassurance. Naruto took it.

"Hey," he said after a while, and Sasuke's eyes flicked over to him. Sasuke was tense, sitting on the edge of the mat like a gargoyle waiting for the sun. Naruto sat up with him.

Finally Sasuke said, "Maybe we shouldn't be here." His eyes were still on the mother and child in the far corner. "Maybe we can't hide like we think we can. I don't want to hide. Sometimes I think about how we're here, and not out there."

Naruto threw a blanket over their shoulders, his hand resting heavily on Sasuke's. "Like I don't understand that?" he asked with a grim grin. The old man snoring beside them made a choking sound in his throat before rolling over, foot kicking out to bump Sasuke in the knee. Naruto bit back a laugh when Sasuke glared grumpily, taking a look at themselves.

They were huddled under a blanket, all doom and gloom and still looking like women, while those around them dreamed of a safe place.

But Naruto knew better than to dream they were in a safe place. He looked over at Sasuke, and there were things he wanted to ask, wanted to know, before it all went to hell. He thought of the boy from Team 7 who he used to know, the quiet boy with his vendettas and his unwavering loyalty when he felt there was something worth fighting for. The boy who understood. Who acted.

He watched Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. This night felt achingly familiar, and Naruto wondered what it was, what it could be, that made him feel as though he couldn't lie still, as though the quiet in the Temple was too loud. Then he knew.

It was the moment of rest before something happened. That heartbeat of silence, right in the middle of life or death, where nothing moved, only waited for you to take a step. It was the creeping sense of foreboding that made the hairs on his neck stand on end, that instinct that something sinister lay just ahead, waiting.

He wanted to pull everyone close. Sasuke close.

Sasuke still hadn't moved from his spot on the mat, and Naruto thought, not for the first time, what he would do should something irreparable happen between them. As it had already nearly happened twice. More than that. That thread that kept them together, that kept Naruto watching Sasuke like he was someone who would eventually have his shadow trailing behind him instead of bathing him in black intent, would eventually wear thin if someone did not give in. And Naruto kept holding out his hand, waiting for Sasuke to take it.

But if, when the day came, Sasuke didn't take his hand? It was a dark thought. A hurtful one.

Naruto did not think he had another time left. It was like staring off the edge of a cliff before he jumped, knowing it was going to happen anyway. And maybe Sasuke could feel this as well, this one final statement, this _you better show me what this means to you_, because he was watching Naruto too.

"You know if you pull shit," Naruto began, staring at Izanami's statue, "I'm gonna kick your ass." It made him feel like something hadn't changed, even though everything had. Everything, it seemed, but the bonds he'd made.

Sasuke laughed quietly. "I'd like to see you try."

"No, you really wouldn't."

Sasuke looked back at him, and Naruto met his eyes in a challenge. "I could be anywhere right now," Sasuke said, "But I'm not. I could go tracking experiments and watch them bleed until I felt enough blood had been shed for the Yamagatas. But I'm not." He sounded almost bitter.

"Instead," he continued, "I'm here, not able to sleep, because you have nightmares and that fool's snoring." Sasuke jerked his head toward the old man, who kicked out at Sasuke again. Naruto snickered.

"Been watching me sleep this whole time then, huh? Creep." Naruto laughed a little, and Sasuke rolled his eyes, but there was a playful edge to it.

"Don't have to," Sasuke quipped, "You move so damn much as long as I got a foot in my stomach or an elbow in my rib I know you're good." They both grinned, looking away from each other to chuckle, Naruto lightly shoving at Sasuke's shoulder.

They sat in companionable silence for a moment, shoulder to shoulder, and Naruto remembered days back when they were younger. Nights camping out for missions, sharing tents, grumbling irritably because it was raining and it was freaking cold and there was nothing left to do but huddle close to each other and pray it made them a little warmer.

_Stop touching me_, Sasuke would say, and Naruto would poke him just to get a rise out of him until Sakura threw her shoes at them (well, mainly just at Naruto). But when they slept, and they woke too close, Sasuke never said a word. And neither would Naruto.

It felt like that now. Close, close enough to feel the warmth of Sasuke's skin brushing against his own. There were things to say to each other that were left unsaid, but Naruto and Sasuke already knew them.

"What do you think it would have been like," Naruto whispered, and he felt rather than saw Sasuke watching him, "if I hadn't pulled Susano'o from you at all? What would have happened if we'd just kept going?" They were thoughts he wasn't sure if he was ashamed of. But, as he still seethed over the deaths of that day, he couldn't help but wonder. The floor was cold beneath his feet, and he pulled the blanket around them closer.

Sasuke was quiet. "We would have kept fighting. Maybe you would have had to kill me. Maybe I would have killed you. And when I finally would have woken up…" he trailed for a moment. "And when I finally would have woken up, I think I really would have lost my mind." His voice was quiet, too controlled, and that was how Naruto knew it troubled Sasuke greatly.

"Remember when you asked me what I would do, back on Mount Myoboku?" Naruto continued. Sasuke waited for him to continue. Naruto took a breath.

"I've always thought there was more to fate, you know? That there was more than just two strict paths to choose from. There has to be. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm doing anymore, 'cause everything looks so bad, and I just want to fight, and I'm so fucking mad…" He shook his head. The child had stilled inside him, as if it was listening, hanging on every word echoing through his body.

"I've only ever wanted to do the right thing. For everyone. You know? The world can't just be black and white. Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if I didn't grow up thinking like that. Sometimes I think, if that had happened, me and you would have been different. I wouldn't be here. Not with you."

Sasuke watched him closely. Naruto didn't meet his eye. He stared at his hands, too long and thin to be his. He wished he could shake the henge off.

"Do you think it would have been better that way?" Sasuke asked finally, lowly. Naruto chanced a glance at him, but Sasuke wasn't looking at him. He ignored the cold plunge his heart took in his chest. He gathered himself.

Naruto smirked. "Gettin' moody on me?" he teased, and it felt kind of good to have a reason to smile, when inside he was still processing Tsunade's death. It didn't seem to be computing, but he didn't say any of this. Not yet. For now, he held onto his anger, his determination that he would do something about it. Sasuke hung his head, but he hid his grin and shook his head.

"You're still waiting for me to prove that I'm not who you think I am. You're waiting for it, but you still won't let me go." Sasuke surprised him by saying. Naruto paused, the tired grin slipping from his face. He felt himself bristle in defense, and the two stared at each other in that challenging sort of way that made them fighters to the bone.

"You want me to let you go?" Naruto asked seriously, a hard edge to his words. And he thought _I don't need this now_. And he didn't. Sasuke was silent, still. Naruto wondered if, somehow, this was his way of going through repentance.

Well, it was really fucking annoying.

Naruto huffed. He leaned back on his hands, letting the blanket fall from them. His head lolled on his shoulders and he closed his eyes. "You know, I thought about letting you go once. But…then I remembered when we were younger. Stupid shit. Like how we could beat each other bloody 'cause you were such a little ass, but after we'd just laugh at how stupid we looked and talk about how we'd get each other next time. Or those times when you'd be right there, pretending you didn't give a damn, but you always had my back anyway. You knew how to make me feel like I was part of the team. Like I had a real friend." He stopped, catching his bottom lip between his teeth in thought. He smiled a little.

"And it never stopped," Naruto said quietly. "It's always been you. Don't know why. Scared me to death at first after you left. I couldn't understand it. But I could understand you. And I guess that's all that mattered. All that matters now."

He sighed again. "Until you try and actually pit yourself against me," he said, so low he saw Sasuke tense, "I guess I'll wait and be ready. Doesn't matter what happened or what could have been different. I've never left you behind before, not gonna do it now, not when I know there's more to you, always has been, or I wouldn't be here now, would I?." It's what he wanted Naruto to say, but Naruto meant it anyway. It meant there's more to you. I think I know you that much, that I'm willing to gamble I know how this ends.

Sasuke didn't deny it.

"I told Fukasaku," Sasuke began, "that I couldn't honor our agreement."

It caught Naruto off guard. He was silent, stumbling over words in his head, trying to figure out what he was feeling. Pained at his assumptions, angry at the thought that the agreement had existed without his knowing in the first place, sad, hopeful for Sasuke. Hope that things, at least between the two of them, could heal completely.

And Naruto backed away from that cliff's edge. Just a little.

"There are few things left to me, few people I care about," he stopped to look Naruto in the eye. "And there are few things I won't do to ensure you stay alive." His words were brutal, almost desperate. He didn't have to say you're all I have left, and Naruto wasn't sure what to say himself.

"When this war is over," Naruto started to say after a few beats of silence, roping his arm around Sasuke and daydreaming of somewhere quiet, somewhere away from it all, "we're going to go on vacation somewhere nice. Then I can be the one worrying about how I'm going to survive another day of your mood swings." He snickered, avoiding the punch to his shoulder.

Sasuke snorted. "Us? Vacation?" he drawled, hunching over with his elbows on his knees. Naruto chuckled.

"Seriously! Once Madara's freaking ass is kicked, once the kings are appealed to, our names are cleared, and we see all our friends again. We'll go. But, eh, only for a little bit 'cause someone's gotta be Hokage." He laughed when Sasuke sighed. "Somewhere nice, quiet. Warm, but not too warm. Maybe with mountains in the background."

"Mountains?" Sasuke repeated.

"Mountains. Somewhere quiet. You know, relaxing." Naruto echoed as Sasuke pulled him down gently to rest on his chest. The boobs were a little hard to get used to ("geez! Can't even make a nice, pillowy rack? Disgrace! They're, like, hard man boobs!"), and Sasuke snapped at him to lie still after a minute of rearranging himself and complaining. ("Well then lie down on the floor and see if I care," Sasuke had huffed). Naruto shook his head, lying still. He could hear Sasuke's heartbeat, steady like a drum. Ba dum ba dum ba dum.

He tried to sleep. But it didn't work. All he could see if he closed his eyes was the Forest of Graves. The arch that held Tsunade's body suspended in midair. Comrades turning to stone. He couldn't afford the anger of it all. Not now. Not yet. He swallowed it down.

"Yeah," he whispered, against Sasuke's chest. It was hitting him again, square in the chest, the memories of the Forest of Graves. It made him feel heavy, tired, made his eyes sting. "Somewhere quiet."

"Sounds nice," Sasuke murmured, voice tinged with sleep. Naruto fiddled with a stay string on Sasuke's shirt. The anger was pumping through his veins like a drug, like a drum roll; steady, steady. He pinched the string until his fingertips turned white. Their mat on the floor seemed hard. Uncomfortable. Like the mat had molded into the stone floor. It made him want to move, but if he moved, he'd lose it.

How did you do it when you had me? He'd asked his mother's apparition once. How did you fight this...rage?

Inside him, the Kyuubi sighed in pleasure. _There is no fighting it, Naruto. Only the rage_. For a moment, it felt like the rage, the sorrow, the dread of what was to come, was all there child kicked suddenly, and Naruto released the string with a breath.

_You're alright_, he thought, as if the child inside could hear his thoughts.

"Naruto," he heard Sasuke say, and he leaned his head back, eyes darting up to meet Sasuke's.

"She chose to die that way."

The anger in his blood pulsed. "Do you think," Naruto said slowly, carefully, "That I'm doing the wrong thing?"

He'd been afraid to ask for so, so long. He'd held back.

Sasuke studied him. "Do you?" he asked back, not much help. Naruto glowered at him through the dark, his eyes tracing Sasuke's silhouette. He wanted Sasuke to say It's alright. Everyone needed it once in a while.

"Well, you're helpful."

Sasuke frowned. "Stop it." He reached out to grab Naruto wrist tightly, lock eyes with him, and the Kyuubi in his chest swore, retreating.

"What was it you were saying?" Sasuke asked him again after a moment, giving Naruto the time he needed to gulp down a breath. "We'd go somewhere quiet? What else?"

Sasuke was trying to distract him, Naruto knew, and there was a part of him that didn't want to be distracted, didn't want the attention now. Only wanted out. Wanted up. Wanted to fight.

But the tug in his chest wanted Sasuke to keep talking. Wanted the child inside him to move again and force him to remember the path he'd taken.

"Quiet," Naruto said again, voice muffled against Sasuke's chest. He ran fingers lightly up and down Sasuke's arm, lost in thought. He grinned despite himself when he noticed where his fingers eventually stopped.

"So no one can hear us." He ran his fingers teasingly up Sasuke's thigh, but halfheartedly. Wouldn't that be something? He wondered, retreating back into his thoughts, his hand curling to his side. Away from the world, just for a little while. Away from the mess. A time to rest. Just for a little while...Just for a little while...

Sasuke scooted closer, but the snoring geezer from earlier kicked out again, a large foot hitting Sasuke square in the back and making him grunt in a way that clashed with his feminine disguise. Naruto let out a loud burst of laughter before clamping his mouth shut. Sasuke grumbled. Naruto grinned mischieviously, and the seriousness of their earlier conversation seemed to dissipate, turn the aching tug in his chest into a need for a reason to smile.

He needed that.

"Pfft. As long as you're around, no place is quiet," Sasuke suddenly said, referring to Naruto's earlier vacation daydream.

"I can be quiet if I have to!" He looked around apologetically after someone tossed a blanket at his head with a hiss, "shut up, some of us are trying to sleep!" Sasuke snorted, fending off a half-hearted punch to the shoulder.

"Yeah right. Bet you can't not talk for five whole minutes. And you call yourself a ninja," Sasuke challenged, rolling onto his side to pin Naruto with laughing eyes. Naruto huffed.

"Whatever, bastard, I can be-"

"You're losing."

What? Bastard hadn't even said go! Naruto cheeks filled with air from all the words he kept himself from spouting, and he shook his head. Sasuke grinned, and Naruto thought this is what it needs to be like. Just like old times. He ached again as he thought of familiar faces, now gone forever. Gone in an instant.

He'd never see her again.

The mirth from earlier seem to pop like a bubble. Sasuke seemed to notice, dark eyes watching, always watching, a little too closely. It was as if sometimes Naruto couldn't hide. And maybe Sasuke couldn't either.

Sasuke opened his mouth, as if to say something, as if to break the melancholy spell, when he noticed monks padding through the halls, lanterns bobbing in the dark. He paused, and Naruto watched curiously. The monks spoke in hurried, hushed voices. Sharp and tinged with fear. Naruto and Sasuke were silent in their corner as the monks began to shake refugees awake. The night was still and quiet. Whatever evil had lurked into the temple walls had yet to wail.

And so it began.

"How long were we here for?" Naruto muttered as he waved away a hand Sasuke offered and rose. "A day?"

"Long enough," Sasuke grumbled as they stepped over bodies, pausing to kick away the foot of the sleeping old man. They slunk away before they could be seen.

They rounded a corner like shadows playing on the stone walls, avoiding the lanterns' rays of light, careful not to wake others. Swiftly, softly. They reached an offering table, and Naruto nudged a small body with a toe. Fukasaku was curled by a vase. The toad started awake, choking on a snore.

"What? What is it?" he croaked, reaching for his staff blindly, but Naruto knelt beside him, shushing him.

"Something's happening."

Fukasaku looked dubious, still blinking back sleep. "We've barely been here a day. The Temple is the safest haven we could hope for-"

"Maybe we shouldn't have come here in the first place, I told you, old toad, the safest place for him-" Sasuke began to argue, and he and the toad locked eyes. Naruto sighed.

"Look, let's just-"

A piercing wail bounced off the Temple walls, and its tenants jerked awake, some with a scream. Children began to cry, the people began to panic. It spread like a virus. Before long, the entire offering room was reduced to refugees scurrying in its walls like rats caught in a cage.

"What is it? What is it?" a little girl yelled, hands clamped over her ears. Naruto hurried over to try and calm her and her mother. What is it? What is it? they kept asking, and all he could do was tell them it's alright. You're going to be okay. Because he himself didn't know.

He wondered what monsters lay waiting for him beyond the temple walls, and the Kyuubi hummed in satisfaction. Naruto looked to Sasuke, and in that moment, Naruto knew his answers, just from the glint in Sasuke's eyes. He looked away.

"That's enough! We need to stay calm!" Naruto tried to shout, helping the monks with frightened women and children.

"LISTEN UP IF YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE!" a voice yelled, and Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke standing on top of the offering table, Fukasaku by his side. He looked imposing, important, up on that table. At the base of Izanami, he could have been a messenger, a warrior sent just for the people.

A monk was quickly relaying something to him, white-faced and ashen. A hush fell over the people. They waited as if the knives had already pricked their backs.

"Enemies have been sighted outside the walls," Sasuke relayed. There were gasps, prayers, a few sobs. "If you'll all cooperate, we can get out of here safely. There's a tunnel that leads to the underground tombs and catacombs. Line up, single file, and we'll get you out of here and wait out the fight. But anyone with ninja or combat training skills are urged to stay. We could use the help."

The people assembled quickly, and Naruto felt himself guided, tugged, pulled. Before long his fingers found Sasuke's

"Stay close," Sasuke said, and Naruto winced when another ear-piercing wail burst through the halls.

"I bet that one is going to be a bitch to deal with," Naruto grumbled, imagining what jutsus the creature might possess. They watched a group of monks armed with only staffs hurry down the halls, faces set like Izanami's stone.

They were fighters.

But were they enough?

"Sound wave attacks?" Sasuke guessed as they wove through the halls, the wailing echoes bouncing off marble, carrying into the depths of the Temple. The torches that lined the walls flickered, the the hall seemed vast. Like the maze of a cave opening up before them. All the while, the eyes of Izanami followed the footsteps of the people hiding behind her walls.

Naruto shivered. There was more to the temple than he'd seen, and he began to wonder if they would need to exit the halls to access the tombs when a monk finally spoke.

"Through here! Hurry now!" a monk called, quickly working to unlock a small metal door hidden by another offering table. It was in a wide, open room that sat supported only by marble beams and a small altar.

The monk's hands shook as he tried to unlock it, as another scream carried through the halls. The door slid open with a hissing creak.

"It-it hasn't been accessed this way in years," he explained quickly. "you will need to crawl inside. The tunnels will open up. Women and children first." He guided people inside wordlessly.

Naruto forgot his feminine refugee disguise as he helped usher others inside. He met the eyes of the woman and her two boys from earlier, and she looked upon him with gratitude. He saw the ashen faces of the women from the cart. Nagisa, wasn't it? Her arms cradled her stomach. It was only when his arm was caught and he was told to head inside that he blinked, looking down.

Of course.

He wasn't going to turn around to fight.

"You and your friends are the last," the monk said quietly, watching him with curious eyes, as if he could see the true face behind the glamour Naruto wore.

"You are safe here. I promise."

Naruto hesitated.

No one had stayed behind to fight.

Sasuke gripped him by the elbow with a whispered "come on", and Fukasaku tugged on the hem of his cloak with a "Now, now." He felt himself pushed forward, and he landed on his knees in the crawl space, his hands scraping against the rough rock surface of the floor. Fukasaku hopped a little ahead. Another wail, and Naruto nearly turned around, nearly cried "wait!" or "Maybe we can do something!" but Sasuke's grip was strong, and the monk slammed the door shut.

He was swallowed in darkness. Disorienting, total darkness. There was nothing to follow but the sound of his and Sasuke's breathing. The air was close. Warm. Too warm.

_In. Out. In. Out. Gasp. Try to breathe._

He reached out for the door, clenched his jaw, slammed it with his palm. "There's no one else out there, is there?" he asked lowly. There was silence behind him. He thought of the Kages, of Gaara, of the Rookie nine. There hadn't been enough there either.

Now too many were dead. Too many had been dead. He'd had too many of these moments. Too many...

"Naruto-boy," Fukasaku said gently. "This is the path we have chosen. I promise you. You will get to do right."

Naruto shook his head, and Sasuke took his hand. "You asked me earlier if you were doing the wrong thing."

Naruto stared into darkness, waiting for him to speak. He watched the refugees cry, swarm, push against the blocked exits. He closed his eyes, as if he could bury the anger.

"You're wrong if you think there's only one way to help them."

It was all he needed. He turned to follow Sasuke.

Together, they gathered the groups, and slipped into the tunnels, down the throat of the tombs

* * *

><p><em>Open it. Open it now,<em> the snake urged, and Norio reached a hand slowly, slowly, like his fingertips would touch the very lips of God. The snake's tongue tickled his ear as it peered over his shoulder, pearly head nearly bobbing in excitement.

He and the snake had slipped away while the Brotherhood stayed above ground to fight the ninja who'd appeared suudenly on the Temple's borders.

He was bathed in darkness. An inky, terrible black that washed out this underground world like a sea. A torch flickered feebly on the stone ledge above him, bathing the tomb in ruddy light that splashed at his feet.

Before him stood a stone tomb. With a grunt, he braced himself, pushing away the stone slab that covered its top.

He cursed, a little out of fear, a little out of disgust, once it fell away. He backed away until he hit a wall hard.

There was a face in that tomb, and its eyes were open and red, spinning, spinning, like they never stopped.

The eyes of an Uchiha.

_This is it, Norio. Our destiny_, the snake hissed. _We must destroy it. And then, we will find Sasuke the Jinchuuriki. We've come so far. Already, the war is turning in our favor. Laws are being passed true to the Brotherhood's wishes. And if we cannot kill Uchiha and Uzumaki, you can be sure the ninja will do it for us. We're close. So close_.

Norio gripped his dagger and whispered Saiyuri's name. He crept towards the tomb, raised the blade, and looked at the Sharingan eyes. He closed his eyes.

The blade never came down.

"Norio? Norio, is that you?"

Suddenly the dark was gone, and Norio was standing in his living room, looking out at the rain. He blinked. The drops streamed down the glass in tiny rivers. It was just as he'd left it. That chair which used to be his father's sitting by the window. The bookshelf, lined with all of Saiyuri's drawing journals and spattered with stains from charcoal and paint. The same old damn rug he hated on the floor. A hard lump formed in his throat. He turned his head so quickly his head spun.

"Norio," Saiyuri said again, wrapping her robe about her tighter. She was just as he'd left her. Pale, pin-straight dark hair that fell in a plunge down her back. Almond shaped eyes that held the world. Voice lighter than the raindrops.

Their baby, still snug in her belly.

Norio nearly choked on his breath. His eyes stung. He hurried to her. "Saiyuri," he whispered, stunned, amazed, about ready to fall to his knees and weep, gather her in his arms so tightly he'd never let go.

She giggled as he came to her. Touched his face with warm fingers. "Norio! Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't know you'd be home today. What is it? What's wrong?"

He started to cry. He couldn't help it. He held her close. "Oh, Sai. Oh, Sai. I've missed you so much. So fucking much." He buried his nose in her hair. She smelled like jasmine. Clean. Just like she always had.

"Baby. What's wrong? I've always been here. It's okay now." She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed his cheek with soft lips.

"Tell you what," she whispered, "I was just taking a nap, and it's about lunch time now. I'll go make you that fried chicken you love so much. We can eat it and watch the rain. I think there's some lightning. You can tell me about your mission."

He didn't want to let go.

But he did, slowly, so slowly her hair ran through his fingers like sand as she turned. She headed to the stove, starting to hum a song, poured oil in the pan.

Norio was mesmerized. A part of him, a very small part of him, told him to wake up. But maybe it had all been some horrible nightmare. Perhaps he'd been trapped in a genjutsu during the mission, and his head was still a little fuzzy. But now he was home. With his Saiyuri-

"Norio. Stop watching. It isn't real."

His heart leapt into his throat and he pulled a knife, eyes widening at the figure who stood beside him.

He was a man Norio had seen before. Tall, sickly white, hooded, half of his face glittering with pearlescent scales and golden eyes that looked reptilian.

"Snake?" he wondered, and the figure grinned honey-slow. He thought the teeth looked sharp.

"It's just a dream, Norio. A genjutsu. We need to get out. Remember the mission."

Norio looked over his shoulder. His wife was cooking now, and he could smell the oil, the chicken. She was singing tunelessly, words he couldn't hear, and then he realized where he was.

"No," he whispered, "not again." The door burst open, and he watched, fascinated, horrified, as the monsters slinked into the house like shadows.

"They're not here for her, Norio." A hand clasped his shoulder, and Norio looked to the hooded man.

"You are not a messenger of God," he said slowly, but he couldn't find the anger within him to care. He looked to Saiyuri once more, wanted to fall into the image of her. All he had to do was go to her. He could leave it behind. All of it. This terrible, terrible world. Walk with Saiyuri to the porch and watch the rain fall, the lightning blitz across the slab of gray sky.

"It's true, I'm no snake. Just a man. But I am here," the man whispered and suddenly he was closer, as if he'd always been by his ear, "to bring you to your destiny. To avenge your wife and child. I am here, Norio, for you. Come, before it is too late." He had a hissing voice. Soft and light and persuasive.

"I can't leave her here," Norio heard himself say, and Saiyuri looked to smile at him. Grin.

"That is the point. If you don't leave her here, you will die. That's the aim of this jutsu. Think of it like a fly trap. Once you've traveled deep enough down its throat, it'll swallow you whole. You must leave her. She isn't really there. Now focus. I told you there was a small path to follow. Can you see it?"

Norio struggled to tear his eyes away and listen. The monsters were still shadows, playing along the wall beside her. But beyond them, if he concentrated hard enough on the floor, he could see something odd.

It was barely perceptible. And if he'd had no one to tell him to look for it, he would have never guessed it was there. Would have never noticed the small anomaly in the illusion of his home.

But that was the point of an illusion, wasn't it?

It was as if, at certain points, if his eyes followed the exact path he had rehearsed over and over until he slept dreaming of it, he'd see the tiniest bit of the real floor and walls of the tomb peeking out. It was blending in with the hardwood floor near the table. It was swirled in with the wallpaper on the kitchen wall. It was on the welcome mat near the door. Each point was a part of the pattern, the path to follow.

But suddenly Saiyuri was calling his name, and the points to the path disappeared as he looked to her, watched the monsters on the wall. They swirled at her side, trying to reach for her, arms like tendrils of smoke peeling away from the wall to attempt to pull at strands of her hair.

"They're going to kill her," he rasped out fearfully. He'd forgotten what he'd been looking for. Couldn't conjure up the image. All that mattered was Saiyuri. Someone caught his wrist like a vise.

He tried to remember. He thought of the name Sasuke Uchiha and demon child and Jinchuuriki and war.

"No, Norio. She's already dead. There is no one here but us. You must understand. Remember your real wife. Remember how she died. Remember how we must find the Jinchuuriki and end this reign of terror."

Suddenly a bubble of voices chorused through the house. Norio spun on his heel, looking for the source, knife drawn.

_Over here, over here, over here!_

Snake hummed thoughtfully. "See? It's not real. You're hearing voices from outside the illusion. What an interesting turn of events. There should be no one else here…"

"Norio," Saiyuri called, "Norio come here. Come talk to me. I've missed you."

He took a step forward. Her smile seemed to glow.

Snake's hand clasped his shoulder, halting Norio in his tracks. "No, Norio. Remember the path. She isn't real."

Norio hung his head. "I'm sorry sweetheart." He looked to the floor, to the first pattern.

"Norio? Norio?" Saiyuri called, louder now, fearful. He took a ragged breath, Walked to the second point. The third.

"Norio!" Saiyuri's voice rose in pitch. He didn't dare look at anything but his feet.

"Norio! Norio look at me! What are you doing? Where are you going?" She was sobbing now.

_She isn't real. She isn't real._

One more step. Another. He was close to the last point, at the door.

"Norio, look at me."

"Keep your head, Norio. Don't look," whispered Snake. Norio's heart squeezed in his chest.

"NORIO!" Saiyuri screamed.

He looked.

The shadows coiled around her like snakes, fangs bared. Squeezing, squeezing, squeezing.

"They're killing her."

"She isn't real!" Snake was furious now, and his eyes promised death as punishment for disobedience.

"They're killing her!" Norio howled,

"She's already dead!" Snake gave a violent push towards the next point and Norio stumbled.

Suddenly Saiyuri was gone. He was alone, alone, alone, in the middle of a desert. He heard a sharp intake of breath. Snake was still behind him, appearing like an apparition.

Norio gasped to regain his breath, a handle on his emotions. "Where are we now?"

Snake's eyes narrowed. "Never mind. Look for the next set of points."

"Kabuto," came a voice, and Norio was amazed to see Snake falter. Turn paler than he already was.

_Kabuto?_ Norio thought. It must have been Snake's real name. The name Norio never knew. He should feel angry. Betrayed, fooled, cheated, because this man had played him all this time, but Norio couldn't muster the strength to care.

If it meant Sasuke's death, the Jinchuuriki's death, it didn't really matter who Snake really was. Whatever Snake wanted at the end of all of this, he could have, for all Norio cared, as long as his promises were carried out. There would be another time for revenge.

Maybe afterward, when Kabuto felt safe again, Norio would kill him for his deceit. But later, later. There was another man seeming to walk out of the sun, materialize and ripple like a mirage on the had the eyes and smile of a snake, and long, black hair. He walked forward like something alien and ruthless. A kill in each step.

Norio tensed. The next point was just beyond him, but now Kabuto was frozen.

"It has taken you long enough, Kabuto. i was beginning to fear you would never come."

"Orochimaru." Kabuto's voice was wrong. Small. Almost boy-like with wonder and hint of something black that made Norio's skin crawl.

Did he look like that when he'd seen the illusion of Saiyuri? he wondered. He shook his head, looking over his shoulder to hiss, "Now look who's the fool. The next point is up ahead. That man is standing right by it."

Kabuto said nothing. His face was blank.

"Will you leave me here alone, Kabuto? After everything you've risked to see me again?" came the silky voice of the man Norio didn't know. Kabuto still said nothing, still didn't move.

Norio grabbed him violently, shoving the knife under his chin to snap him out of it. "Move it!" he snarled, and Kabuto blinked.

"Right. Of course." That sly hiss of his had returned.

Another chorus of voices blasted across the desert sands like a wind. Over here, over here, over here, and Kabuto seemed to wake up a little more.

"There shouldn't be anyone in the tombs." There was a hint of doubt in his voice.

"It doesn't matter. We're almost there."

_Over here, Naruto-boy, over here_ the wind sighed and Norio paused before his foot could hit the next step.

Naruto. The Jinchuuriki.

The apparition bent on tempting Kabuto began to speak again. "Kabuto. Kabuto come to me. We have much to discuss. So much I need to tell you." The illusion was taking hold again and Norio struggled to find the points.

The sun was setting up ahead, and against its red glow another figure appeared. Norio gripped his knife tighter.

"Over here. Over here," the voice called, and Norio saw Akira, no! Sasuke Uchiha. There he was, grinning a victory grin, arm hooked around a handsome blond young man. They stood in the afterglow of the sunset, and both pairs of eyes glowed like rubies.

"If it is revenge you want, Norio," Sasuke said with an ever-blooming smirk, "Then we're waiting over here."

The blond man laughed. "Over here, Norio. We're waiting. Or have you forgotten what we've taken from you?"

"Your wife," said Sasuke, and he and his companion stood on the sands like gods of chaos.

"Your cousin and his family. Your comrades, your best men, your wife's little brother," said the blond man.

"Your unborn child."

"We wanted war," said the Jinchuuriki. "now give us yours." The wind blew again, and carried more voices.

_This way. If the rumors prove true, we need to get the refugees to the center of the tombs, They'll be safest there!_ the wind howled. Norio blinked, confused. The image of Sasuke and the Jinchuuriki rippled for just a moment.

"This way, Norio," Sasuke and the Jinchuuriki called. "Or will you stand there and watch us claim this war?"

Rage, horrible, soul-eating rage licked at Norio's thoughts. Then fear. Suddenly, he wasn't sure what was real. He couldn't move. He couldn't see the points, couldn't remember which step was the next one.

"Kabuto," he hissed. "What is happening? What is real? I thought you said those voices we heard earlier were from outside the illusion."

There was no answer.

Norio turned, cursing when he noticed Kabuto straying to the man called Orochimaru.

"That's it," the man hissed, "Just a little closer. So I can see you better. I've waited for you for so long, Kabuto…"

Kabuto drifted closer.

"Kabuto! Hey! Snake! Fuckin' hell." Norio drew his fire lancer, looking to the figures in the west. "Sick of this shit!" he screamed, aiming for Akira and the Jinchuuriki. He fired. Once. Twice. Three times. The shots rang out loud and piercing.

They stood on the horizon laughing. Norio took a step towards them. Then another. Another still. He fired again. And again.

Wait. Listen. What was that? the wind whispered. Norio almost pulled himself away to look over his shoulder. Almost.

"Over here, Norio, over here!" they cried menacingly. He drew up the lancer to fire again. This time, the Jinchuuriki fell, rolled in the sand while Akira howled and turned into vapor.

Norio waited for the body to turn to dust. It didn't. He laughed. He shot it again. And again, and took more steps towards it, until he could kick it with his foot.

His foot met flesh and bone and blood.

He laughed harder. Spit flew past his lips and he hunched over, chest aching. "That easy! it was that fucking easy!" He bent down to rub blood between his fingers.

It was so real. It was real.

Tears slipped past his cheeks along with his laughs. "I did it," he gasped. "I did it! It's over, oh God, Saiyuri, it's over."

"Now it is."

Norio paused, looked up to stare into spinning red eyes and a murderous face. He said, "I just saw you turn into dust."

Sasuke Uchiha raised his sword. "That was an illusion, Norio. Only a dream."

"But I killed him."

Sasuke shook his head. "No."

The illusion broke, and there was darkness, a tomb, a lone flickering candle. A woman was before him, but her eyes swirled red, a halo of ruddy light around her. She could have been an angel of death, Izanami herself, in all her beauty. Behind her, a toad and a buxom blond looked on quietly, faces set in masks. Norio looked down at the body of a man he didn't know, bleeding and wide-eyed by his feet. He rubbed his fingers. They were slick with blood. Blood that wasn't the Jinchuuriki's.

The woman swung her sword, but Norio saw Sasuke Uchiha in her eyes.

"Akira," he said in a growl, a challenge, "Of course you are here to kill me. You will never change."

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction and he brought down his sword. Norio rolled, and sparks flew like lightning as the sword hit the stone floor. There was movement, a scream, and Norio noticed refugees, an entire crowd being led, slinking in the shadows. He shook his head.

They were herded back with a croak of "hurry now! hurry!" and Norio watched the blond wait, defiant eyes trying to lock with Sasuke's red ones, but they never met, and her eyes watched Norio's with a killer's grace. A ninja's eye. He licked his lips.

The Jinchuuriki.

"Come!" the toad cried, and suddenly she disappeared along with the others, swallowed by the darkness.

"Why do you kill everyone you touch?" Norio admonished, thinking of what lay ahead, and Sasuke's disguise rippled with his rage. For a moment, Norio saw Akira. They circled each other slowly, two wolves watching the other's throat with their teeth.

"I am," Norio said, "the only one who cared enough to bring justice to those like Eiji. Like Kanako. Like the children. Yet, you would foil me. Yet, you would spit on their memories."

It worked, which surprised him. Sasuke launched himself forward like fire, all rage and no control. Their swords met. Norio parried, threw his weight and watched Sasuke skid backward, whirl, then charge. His sword point met only musty air, and Norio kicked, laughing when his foot met flesh, and Sasuke hit the wall. Norio charged, but his target was quick, vanishing with a blink, and suddenly Sasuke's blade came crashing down from the right, and the blades met again. This time the woman's face fell completely, and Norio saw the face of the young man he thought he'd known.

The boy was fast. So incredibly fast, and Norio's blood soared.

"Ahaha! Now" he laughed, sparks flying off the length of his blade once more as they slashed, parried, struck, caught each other in a death grip, jabbed again.

Not once did Sasuke use his ninja jutsus, which Norio found interesting.

"Will you not finish me off easily? Use those eyes of yours? Or are you trying to be honorable?" he taunted, yelling as their blades clashed once more. He grimaced as held it, sweat beading on his brow, muscles trembling.

Too long, he realized with mounting apprehension, this fight was lasting too long. They were both beginning to tire. Gashes on his forehead, on his arms, were beginning to sting, to ache, the blood making the hold on his sword slick.

Norio molded chakra to his blade, slashing through crumbling rock when Sasuke darted out of the way

Blood hit the ground, and Norio smiled. Sasuke stood rigid, tall, the slash to his chest beginning to bleed.

"You're tiring, Akira," he clucked, charging again, but something hit him from the back, and he fell with an oomph.

"I think you're done, old man," a young man's voice taunted, and Norio grunted as he felt the body use him to leap off of.

Sasuke sounded annoyed. "I was handling this."

A blond man appeared by his side. Young, as young as Akira, bright yellow hair, a crooked grin that spoke of strength and victory. Ah yes, this was him. This was the Jinchuuriki. Norio staggered to his feet, regaining his breath.

"Doesn't take a lot to make one of me," the blond shot back, hands behind his head, "and besides, who would I be if I let you take all the glory? You can't hold me back from this."

Sasuke grinned tightly, brandishing his blade. "Well then, let's see who can get him first."

His friend smiled, a baring of teeth before a fight. "Pssh. Always gotta make this into a competition, don't ya, bastard?" grumbled his companion, but he smiled still, a kunai twirling expertly in his fingers. His smile broadened, eyes locking on Sasuke for only a moment as he said, "Betcha I win."

They struck, and Norio remembered thinking they moved like an extension of one another, a limb from the same body.

At the last moment, as he blocked a hit from Sasuke and avoided a kick from the JInchuuriki by catching his ankle and sending him flying backward, the Jinchuuriki used the movement to his advantage, a kunai slipping from his hold with deadly accuracy. Norio saw it coming out of the corner of his eye, but his feet were planted firmly on the ground, holding off Sasuke's blade. He thought I can't block it. His shoulders shook with the effort.

Saiyuri was waiting for him, and Norio sighed, closing his eyes tightly, waiting for the kunai to split his skull.

The kunai never hit.

A hiss sounded in his ear, and Norio opened an eye. He grunted. "So you decided to come out of there alive," he said to the snake with the kunai between its fangs. It swayed on his shoulder.

"I thought you were dead."

The snake only hissed in answer, twining itself around his neck. Sasuke and the Jinchuuriki paused, panting, eying the monster around his neck.

"Kabuto," Sasuke hissed.

Norio took a fighting stance, took a breath, looked to the snake hissing on his shoulders.

"It's over, Akira," he said, "And if we don't kill you now, the nin will. Either way, we've won" But at the moment as he made to charge, eyes locked on the JInchuuriki, something happened. A rush of wind, splitting pain, a voice low in his ear.

"This time I won't leave you alive!"

He couldn't say what, or who, it was. Never would.

It killed him before he could take another breath.

* * *

><p>Kabuto could almost smell him. The clean, antiseptic smell that burned his nostrils but hid a hint of citrus. it made him think of labs, of cold metal examining tables, of icy lips and cool fingertips. Finally, after so long alone. Finally, after so long dreaming of this moment-<p>

"Sick of this shit!" Norio yelled, and Kabuto jerked away from the pale white fingers of his old teacher, just before their skin could touch, before the apparition could ensnare him in a death hold. Orochimaru's eyes grew wide and angry as his hands clasped nothing. Kabuto looked over his shoulder, and cursed. The winds whispered like voices once again, and Kabuto paused as he heard Naruto-boy crawl over the sands.

They were here. Naruto was here, somewhere close by. He frowned. The voices were piercing through the illusion. It was beginning to blend into the technique, Kabuto realized uneasily. If he didn't act soon, he'd never be able to decipher what was real, and what wasn't. And already, the path to reality was thin enough, difficult to see.

He whipped his head to Norio. "Norio-!"

But it was too late. The man had lost his mind to the illusion, and he shot after apparitions of Sasuke and Naruto, firing his lancer at them. Kabuto raised a brow when one actually fell, but he looked away and looked to the points.

Just two more. He took a step.

"Kabuto, Kabuto…" the voice was so achingly familiar, so wonderfully real. It took nearly all his strength not to look.

"Stop this, Kabuto. That is enough. There is nothing for you out there. But here? Here lie your dreams…"

He reached the last point, toes curling in the warm sand, and looked out across the sea of gold and red-washed sky. The setting sun was glowing garnet. Kabuto could hear Norio laughing, laughing like a dying man who'd found the secret to everlasting life. He didn't look. Norio had done his part. Norio had always been a fool whose mind had already been consumed with revenge. He'd brought Kabuto's last plans to fruition.

His deed was done. With this final step, Madara would perish, the Leaf would be able to finish Naruto and Sasuke, and maybe, Kabuto might embrace death.

"One day, Orochimaru," he whispered, reaching for the sun. "One day."

The illusion broke suddenly, and Kabuto found himself momentarily surprised. He hissed as his serpentine body reared. He was coiled on the chest of the corpse. He struck, pearly fangs gouging into the spinning eyes of Madara Uchiha's corpse.

In the candlelight, the shadows played, and someone screamed.

Swords clashed, a clone of Naruto's appeared to fight, and Kabuto's fangs tasted of dust and malice. He struck, over and over over, until the eyes stopped spinning, until they began to sink. He was satisfied, and he wondered when Madara would return, if Madara had been affected by Kabuto's truths at all.

The clang of metal jarred him from his thoughts.

Kabuto could taste the blood in the air with his forked tongue, thick and metallic. It was time he returned to Norio's side. It wouldn't do to have the brute die yet. Tonight was the night, he knew. It was the night Sasuke and Naruto would see the tide of the war shift. With a lunge and a hiss, he caught a kunai in his teeth, milliseconds away from piercing Norio's skull.

"I thought you were dead," Norio panted as Kabuto curled on a bloodied shoulder, kunai still between his fangs.

Sasuke eyed him like the animal he was. A starved predator out for blood as he whispered his name, "Kabuto." The Jinchuuriki's clone widened his stance, and on another night, Naruto and Sasuke might have looked formidable. Daunting, even.

But all Kabuto could see were the dead boys they both would become once the night was over.

Kabuto would have chucked if he could have. He could not die yet. There was still the matter of Madara.

"It's over, Akira," Norio began, but all at once, three things happened. A vortex opened, much to Kabuto's horror, right in Norio's middle, as Madara emerged, slipping out of time and space to materialize by the tomb.

Norio fell away in two, and as Kabuto cursed his ill luck he was struck as Madara grasped his head with a heavy hand, venom dripping uselessly from his fangs as his mouth was forced to open wide.

He could see the clone summon ten more clones, and Sasuke's blade sizzled blue. Kabuto looked into Madara's still spinning eye as his spine cracked.

"This time, I won't leave you alive."

* * *

><p>In the caves, Naruto began to realize, in horror, that he had been led to the slaughter. Ahead, someone screamed.<p>

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die!"

Cursing under his breath and shaking away the shock, Naruto pushed his way through the group inching through the catacombs. A man in the front was losing his nerve, hyperventilating. He was blocking the narrow path. Someone had begun to kick him, others began to shout. In the dark, all Naruto could see were silhouettes, angry outlines looking for light.

"Don't leave us in here!" a woman pleaded, but her cries went unheard, as the exits were sealed. They'd been so close. The lights ahead had boosted the refugee's spirits, made them laugh and sigh in relief, until the little dots of light had begun to disappear.

They're sealing us in, Fukasaku had raged, and Sasuke had sprinted ahead wordlessly.

"Wait, wait!" Sasuke was running for the exit, but Naruto couldn't find him in the black. One by one, the lights extinguished like snuffed candles. The refugees wailed.

"No!"

Suddenly darkness reigned. Children screamed, and Naruto could hear fists banging solidly on rock. Flesh that made no impact. He wondered if one of those fists were Sasuke's.

Naruto clenched his own fists, tightly, until what little nails he had bit into his skin. "The Guardian nin must be here already, calling the shots," he guessed, trying to see the reasoning. And suddenly,badly, he longed to get out of the tunnels, to face the ninja who had just taken the lives of comrades. He could feel the fire, burning under his skin.

He had to get out of here-

He took a breath and zoned in on the screams of those around him.

Fukasaku sighed tiredly beside him. "Bastards," he muttered, "They're ensuring your capture, if you're really here. Gives them time to go and fight and return for you. We can't let this happen. There must be another way." He paused, sifting through memories. Fukasaku, after all, knew the Temple well

"Naruto, there should be another exit, if it's not sealed off or naturally caved in. It's centuries old-"

Naruto was only half-listening, Fukasaku's voice distant as he shouldered his way past the crowd, to the man at the front, who was causing a scene. Someone was shoved into him. He pushed them away. A fist went flying. Naruto ducked.

"Stop! If you want to get out of here we all need to cooperate! I said stop it, dammit!" Naruto shouted, pushing his way through, peeling people away to reveal the man trying to dig away at the rock with nothing but his bare hands. He'd turned around and hit someone with a rock who'd tried to placate him. His victim groaned and dropped heavily.

Another voice wailed as Naruto snatched the man roughly, shaking him by the shoulders, tired of it ("You need to fucking calm down, hear me?"), and when he tried to throw a punch, Naruto cursed and knocked him out cold with a quick hit after catching his fist. A voice he thought he recognized rose in pitch.

Naruto turned, but he had a hard time making out faces. There was a writhing black mass of people behind him.

He couldn't see, but suddenly a blue light illuminated the cave, and he turned to see Sasuke, electricity chirping and licking up his arms. It startled the people, and they shrank away from him.

He had abandoned his disguise.

They screamed. "The ninja are in the caves!"

"Enough!" Sasuke shouted, and Naruto hurried over to his side.

"There is an exit," Naruto continued, remembering what little Fukasaky had just told him, "But we need everyone here to cooperate. Do you understand?"

There was a murmur of agreement, and Fukasaku came hopping to the front.

"There isn't much time," he said, and Nauto already knew.

"Alright, let's go!"

It was painstaking, it was slow, but the children kept stumbling, and the elderly needed guiding hands, and at one point, the woman Naruto remembered as Nagisa wailed.

"We need to stop! We need to stop! Please!" her mother shouted, and the group halted, having come to a fork in their road. The path split off down two different tunnels. Fukasaku contemplated, when Naruto and Sasuke were approached.

"Please, my daughter cannot walk any farther-"

It was the Wind woman. Naruto squinted, as if he might be able to see her better.

"Then we'll carry her," Naruto absolved, done with the conversation, already looking to Sasuke, but the woman shook her head, grabbed at his sleeve.

"No, no, you don't understand, the labor pains have come too early. We can't keep moving her like this!" She was desperate.

There was a groan, a murmur, the refugees began to speak. A woman claiming to be a midwife stepped forward, helping the pained young woman to settle on the stone floor. Naruto winced as she cried out.

"We can't just leave her like that. We'll carry her-" Naruto repeated, but the Wind woman was having none of it.

Sasuke intervened. "What else are we supposed to do? The nin won't want them, and the Brotherhood has never attacked bystanders, as far as I know. They want us. Let them help her, let those who can't go any farther rest. They'll be fine." Others were beginning to contemplate staying in the caves. Those with infants, very small children. An old man who needed a crutch to walk and a blind woman.

"But-"

It was then Fukasaku made his choice, gesturing to the right, and Naruto grudgingly left those who wanted to stay behind.

The path down the tunnel was like a mouth of broken teeth, jagged edges of rock and uneven steps gouged into the cave floor. The ceiling began to hang low, and before long, everyone was in a crouch. It became blacker than black. Only Sasuke's electricity and a quick torch Fukasaku had managed to keep the tunnel aglow with a little light.

"Over here, Naruto-boy, over here!"

Soon, they came to another hole in the path. A small tunnel.

Naruto grunted. "One at a time," he instructed, and they helped a man forward, Fukasaku hopping ahead of him. They paused at the mouth of it, waiting to hear that the two had gotten through safely before sending the women and children. Slowly, the group disappeared, one by one, to the other side. Eventually, just Naruto and Sasuke stood.

"Go," Sasuke urged, and they looked at each other for a moment, glowing blue with the hum of Sasuke's Chidori. Suddenly it was dark, and Naruto felt a hand on the back of his neck, breath on his cheek, a forehead against his. Naruto nodded, turned, and crawled down the tunnel, Sasuke close behind.

There was a heavy silence as soon as he pushed through. The air had changed from cool and damp and smelling of rock, to warm and close and smelling of mold and decay. He wrinkled his nose, finally able to stand upright, and that was when he felt it.

The disturbance in the air, the presence of power.

He looked for the group snaking their way down. "Wait!" he cried, and Sasuke shot forward.

Then a yelp cut too short, a shout from Fukasaku, and Naruto could see a light overhead. Just a pinprick of orange in the dark. He skidded to a stop, eyes widening at what he saw.

One of the refugees was dead on the floor, throat cut, and before him, trembling with the after-effects of a genjutsu, Sasuke before him, was Norio, the leader of the Brotherhood.

It was unexpected.

He saw Sasuke's sword rise, felt Fukasaku tug on his arm, and not once did Sasuke look at him.

He couldn't leave Sasuke here to do this alone-

"Come!" urged Fukasaku, and cursing, remembering those frightened ahead of them, Naruto turned.

They were already screaming. "The Brotherhood's in the caves! They're using the caves!"

"Just go, go!" Naruto urged, and he helped Fuksaku guide them along an edge. When he reached its end, he grit his teeth, formed a couple seals, and watched clones poof into existence.

"Go. You know what to do," he growled. They took off without a word. Naruto looked in the direction they fled, even though he could not see.

"Naruto!" Fukasaku called, and Naruto turned. He would not be left out of this fight. His fingers reached for the kunai in his sleeves, like a reflex.

They didn't get much farther up the ledge before the exit crumbled in a cloud of dust and rock and mold. Rising from the murky clouds, eyes gleaming orange and minds already lost, were Madara's cursed soldiers.

* * *

><p>AN: This last half is really long. Too long to put in one chapter. I'm going through it, if I see any more errors in this update, I come back to fix them. Spot anything weird please go ahead and tell me. This half alone was over 11k words long. I'm alternating between two other fics right now, Born This Way and Lilies, so I'm just gonna keep the next update for Fortune next weekend again. um, guess it's Sunday today, so Sunday. I'm off to work on another chapter of Born This Way tonight since I think that's due Thursday? Can't remember which day I updated, and since I just updated Lilies. Whew! Lots to do!

**Preview for next week:**

It was laughable really, Madara thought as he deflected shuriken, caught another with a tag on the wicked point of his kunai and hurled it in the opposite direction. The boys darted away, and the tomb filled with light as it exploded. He leapt nimbly, avoiding a rasen-shuriken and watching the destruction in its wake as he landed.

There they were. The duo. Senju. Uchiha. Sasuke. Naruto. _Together_.

Madara sneered.

...

The fight with Madara is upon us! What will come of this? There have been so many different plans, and each one keeps failing before it can come to fruition, so we'll see what happens! We have the Guardians at the Temple searching for Naruto, and they've sealed the refugees in to fight the Brotherhood and prevent escape. However, from a few chapters back we know Madara realized someone was in the tomb, and now we've got _everyone _there for a huge fight. All these different sides are gonna clash! Geez! Maybe we'll get some team-ups?

**_Bonus snippet so you know it's there. From the chapter 'Birth of A New Age'. I can only show so much, or you'll know what happens before I get there :_**

The rain fell harder. The wind pulled at the trees, and up the road, in the little house the farmer knew, a demon tried to break free.

It happened in the kitchen, the fight, and there was blood on the floor to prove it. Every room lay empty, forgotten, except the kitchen. The lights were out, and only the erratic spark of lightning made the house glow blue.

It was quiet in the kitchen. Too quiet, and Sasuke knew that.


	39. Destiny's End Part 2

**_This chapter is a lot of action. Prepare for a lot of fights. ***Canon Notes*** As we all know, I started this story two years ago. A lot has happened in the manga since, such as Tailed Beast Mode and such, that I didn't know would happen when I began this. If we go along like canon, Naruto knows who his parents are already in this story, which means he should already have access to Tailed Beast Mode. Remember this story begins when the war is nearly over. So you have to assume all that stuff with Naruto already happened. Also, remember I take liberties for the sake of the story. The Tailed Beast mode scene is kinda mixed with my own headcanon_**

**_EDIT: Again, don't have betas, apologize. Some little things I meant to add in again were added back in. Details._**

* * *

><p><em>Destiny's End part II<em>

It was an unexpected development, Madara had to grudgingly admit, and even the crack of Kabuto's spine did little to appease him.

So this had been Kabuto's final trick, had it? Kabuto had always known how to make things...irritating.

He would have never imagined the scientist would have found an actual path through the Sharingan's illusion (let alone worm his way into the Feudal Lords' laws!). It was just as well this secret died with him. It was an exploitable weakness. Worse, he had little time to wonder about the full extent of this damage and its effects.

How ironic that he should wish for Kabuto's talents now.

Madara had had to put up with Kabuto longer than he cared to, though a dark part of his mind whispered its frustration, its anger at Kabuto's demise. Why, he wondered. Why had Kabuto still turned, still fled, when he could have had so much more?

Madara would be alone on his throne, and maybe he was always meant to be. The thought made him restless.

_"You've spent all these years hating Hashirama. All these years you've hated and plotted, and it was your own clan who worked against you, who forced you out!" _

There had been days Madara wanted to believe it. But then he'd look around. Stare at scarred hands that weren't his, feel his soul _trapped _in a body that was never his, and his hatred would grow, throb like a heart. He was here _because_ of Hashirama; he was _here _forced to live life like a villain in order to make a statement, a better world, because Hashirama had driven him to a corner like an animal.

Madara wouldn't be swayed. It had taken some time to examine the medic's snakes, to formulate a sly plan. To capture the snake-spies slithering from Kabuto's room and disengage them before Kabuto could realize something was amiss, learn to woo them (it had taken a couple tries and a lot of patience), into submission so he could make a bold move and ensure Kabuto could not act, once he was sure he had everything he needed from the scientist.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the snake into the tomb with his body, laughing at the thought of Kabuto rolling over in death, appalled to be put to rest in the same stone that held Madara's corpse.

Naruto and Sasuke pulled his grin tighter. There was an animalistic speed in the way they reacted to his presence, some inexplicable communication that made them seem like a unit instead of simply a fighting pair. Clones burst into existence, and the Mangekyo burned red.

Madara ran a finger along the stone lip of his tomb contemplatively.

"We do not need to fight," he said, "One more time, Sasuke." He enjoyed the way the boy's face twisted, "I will extend a hand in friendship one last time. Take it, and you can all find a place in my brave new world."

What a beautiful lie.

The Jinchuuriki's clone laughed and threw a Rasengan in his face.

"I do not think you understand," Madara tried again, sidestepping it and watching stone crumble. His eyes were ruined, but Obito's good eye was not, nor was the other eye he had so carefully hidden behind his mask, just for moments like these.

"There is no turning away from me. You will find yourselves quite miserable."

They didn't surrender.

In the dark of the tombs, the only light was that of the sparks raining down from blades and kunais and sharp bursts of flame from _katon_ jutsus.

It was laughable really, Madara thought as he deflected shuriken, caught another with a tag on the wicked point of his kunai and hurled it in the opposite direction. The boys darted away, and the tomb filled with light as it exploded. He leapt nimbly, avoiding a rasen-shuriken and watching the destruction in its wake as he landed. Then the dust cleared, and he saw them again.

There they were. The duo. Senju. Uchiha. Sasuke. Naruto. Together.

Madara sneered.

He could see it. The clear cut path to victory. There was no need to work too hard; the world was at stake, and who was here to defeat him? Mere children! He leapt forward with a laugh, and Sasuke met his speed with his sword. It lasted only a few seconds. Sparks. Clashing metal, sword to kunai, before Madara kicked the little fool in the jaw and heard him grunt and stumble back. But Sasuke didn't fall, and as soon as he swayed, a clone was there to pop up with a fistful of Rasengan at incredible speed.

Madara flitted away, like a blip of static on a television screen, but when his feet touched stone a second later, an odd pain lanced through his jaw.

How curious.

He raised a hand to his mask, gloved fingertips tickling the side of Obito's scarred face. Warm blood painted his fingertips. The fabric of his mask had been ripped away to reveal half of the face he hid behind.

Real anger churned his gut. How annoying. His original eyes must no longer have been spinning,

Another unexpected development. He would have benefited from his original body when the time had come, had he been able to take advantage of Kabuto's reanimation jutsu before he'd had to take precautions against the rogue nin. Even so, the treachery wouldn't stall him for long. Madara still had secrets, secrets no ninja could hope to discover, and Sasuke, all that was left of the clan's legacy, had never been taught

His skin stung, he realized belatedly. Like hundreds of tiny needles were burrowing into his cheek bone. He grimaced.

"Well done," he admitted, but not to the boys. To the snake in the tomb who'd made it possible. What a bastard move. Pitting everyone against each other at just the right moment; if Madara wasn't careful, someone would die, and then Kabuto's plans would succeed, even if it meant the smallest of victories.

The boys' eyes widened, and they realized, Madara knew, that their opponent was now as solid as they. Before they had been hoping on chance; he could tell how they had been timing their attacks, probing, studying, experimenting with how far they could push, just to see if Madara's feet ever really touched the ground; even a split second could allow an opening.

But his feet had never touched the ground. Not until now. Now, at least, he'd get a bit of a challenge. He was mildly surprised the clone hadn't ceased to exist. Its brothers had vanished into thin air quite quickly.

Madara straightened, and tore his mask away. "Well," he said, "I never imagined you'd _scratch_ me."

The boys said nothing, only waited, tense. Some unspoken course of action was silently decided upon, with nothing but the smallest of nods, the slightest narrowing of eyes.

"It could have been different for you. But no matter. Come now, Sasuke. It's time you learn what it is to be an Uchiha. To see the power you could have had." He circled them, and they only watched. Waiting for some kind of opening? A signal?

He turned suddenly, sensing a disturbance in the stagnant air, a rush of power. A clone nearly surprised him, rushing at him with a Rasengan, but Madara only watched the clone slide through him, deftly sticking a kunai through the back of its neck as it passed. Then it was gone.

"Well?" Madara insisted, and he laughed, forming seals. "Is that all you have?" He yelled then, his palm hitting the stone. The ground ripped, groaned, shifted, and the boys took staggering steps back, eyes wide, as a beast rose from the stone floor with a roar.

Madara smiled. "You're out of your league, boys."

* * *

><p>"<em>Uchiha<em>," the monster before him whispered, and its head jerked on its neck, so quick, so unnaturally, Yuu hissed in disgust before plunging his kunai deep into its jugular, ripping his weapon back with a grunt.

He kicked the creature away, and it curled on its side as it died. But among hundreds, this small death didn't make a dent.

Night had come, but wisps of cloud hid a sea of stars. It sucked away the moonlight, made the darkness pooling on the ground inkier, heavier, made the shadows easier to hide in. The torches on the Temple grounds splashed ruddy orange light over the offering grounds, but the light didn't bring the peace the Sun God and his wife of Life and Death promised.

The push back was subtle, but enough to make Yuu clench his jaw as he fought. It was chaos. It was a mess.

it was all-out war.

The Brotherhood's arrival had caused mass hysteria inside the gates after a few innocents fell after an ensuing struggle between a member and a Guardian nin, who hadn't anticipated the possibility of being _shot_ at. He'd zipped away with a second to spare, only to bring death to a woman waiting in the line. Collateral damage. Unfortunate, but not nearly as unfortunate as the rest.

The resulting stampede was mind-blowing. Hands that clawed at the walls until nails bled, children ripped from mothers, small groups who were keeping their heads attempting to fight through the chaos. Orphans trying to scale the walls with nothing but bare hands, feet, and a little charged chakra. The worst were the ones who fled into the ditches on the side of the road waiting to pickpocket corpses. It was irritating to fight through; but a welcome distraction on the Brotherhood's end, who used the crowds to their advantage. To complicate matters even further, a group of warrior toads had suddenly poofed into existence, devastating any man or woman who dared labeled themselves as foe. Yuu stayed out of their way.

Yuu had had to send chakra charged senbon through the forehead of some fool-in-the-way to kill an elusive leading man with one shot. And the sudden arrival of a wave of experiments charging down the hill like lions did little to shape the battlefield.

Now his allies were stretched thin.

Yuu smiled grimly as he leaped, bringing a heavy foot down on the head of another monster. He broke its jaw, and some masked comrade he didn't recognize fell on it once it hit the ground, allowing Yuu to sprint away. In the air he activated his earth-style, and grotesque hands made of rock and dirt popped out of the earth to squeeze a few experiments and an unlucky Brotherhood member.

The groans and screams seemed to reach to the moon, and Yuu ground his teeth. He flew past a civilian screaming for help, reaching as if he might be able to snag his fingers on Yuu's cloak.

His cries for help were cut short, and Yuu kept on running. There wasn't time to cut his way through the battlefield, to stop and lend a hand to every sob story or frightened face he saw stuck in the teeth of the war.

And they would thank him for it later when the war was done and over, because it didn't matter now. What happened outside of the Temple mattered little to what was happening inside of it. The monks had been forced to seal away the refugees they were protecting in its walls. It made things a little easier, given that the tombs were locked away with doors imbued with a sealing jutsu. Now Yuu's target was currently winding through the underground tunnels, with no way out, and he would wait there patiently, until Yuu was finished with this madness-

Pain lanced through his side, and he skidded along the ground, swallowing dirt and grass as he rolled. He shook away his confusion as he regained his footing, fingers biting into the grass to try and an anchor himself.

Something hot was spilling down his side. Yuu groaned, reaching over to pull a stinger from his skin, to dab his palm uselessly against the puncture wound, as if that might halt the flow of blood. Using a water-style, he quickly removed as much of poisoned blood as he was able before it could spread, watching it flow out of his side in a bubble to pop and splatter on the grass. At least it would give him a little more time. He silently thanked the medic nin who'd taught him that trick.

He rolled the stinger in his fingers curiously, looking up to see the beast it belonged to stomping toward him, pushing through fighting nin and civilians like a velvet curtain.

Beautiful.

It had the squashed face of a beast that used to be a man. Its orange eyes bulging out of its sockets. It said, "_Uchiha_," as all of them had been hissing.

It seemed Sasuke Uchiha topped even Madara's hit list.

Yuu felt a muscle in his jaw tick, then with careful precision, imbued the stinger with his own chakra, hurtling it at his foe. It was a fast attack, quicker than he could blink, and so effective that stinger should slice through bone and come out clean. Yet the stinger bounced harmlessly off the ugly, gray forehead of his target. The creature's eyes followed the stinger, staring at it stupidly.

Yuu stomped his foot. He didn't have time for this!

"Come on, ugly," he said, and the creature roared. It was a hulking thing, nearly popping out of its skin in muscle and cord-like veins, stingers sprouting out its shoulders like spiked pauldrons, its head nearly dwarfed by its deformed torso. He could see the curse seal spreading on its skin like a virus.

It charged, growing spikes on its knuckles. Yuu darted away as a mighty fist crashed into the dirt where he'd been seconds before. He activated another earth-style jutsu, watching as the creature was yanked down to his chest in a sinkhole he'd created.

It was supposed to have given him enough time to turn and keep on running, but instead, his target cracked through the ground with brute strength, pulling itself out of the trap and splitting the ground enough to make it shift under Yuu's feet.

He swayed a little, leaping into the air again and deciding he wasn't going to get much farther until he took it out.

_Time to go for the eyes_, he thought with a sigh, since the rest of it appeared to be protected by unnatural armor.

He began to build up chakra in his palms as the creature tore after him, but before Yuu could begin to charge up his senbon and send them flying, the ground broke.

At least, that was Yuu's first thought.

The rift he'd created in the ground, deepened by his enemy, tore completely open, and suddenly a pair of hands reached out of the ground to grip the brute's ankles. It toppled with a grunt.

"You ruined my opening!" Yuu yelled in frustration, landing on the back of the brute with enough strength to stick it farther in the ground. It fell with a yowl, disappearing underground, and Yuu looked up to face his unlikely ally.

He sent senbon hurtling between the eyes of Naruto Uzumaki. He disappeared with a _pop_! and another took his place, and another, and another, climbing over each other like a makeshift ladder onto the grounds.

"Calm your shit!" the clones yelled at him, all in nearly perfect unison, and they began to swarm, aiding the fallen, attacking the experiments, and Yuu watched, amused, as a brotherhood member took a shot at the clone, as if it was the real thing, only to be grabbed and upended, held by the ankle, berated ("You dumbass, I just saved your life!"), and slapped over the head with his own lancer.

Yuu snorted.

"And how," he said, directing his attention toward another clone as it dove a kunai through the eye of the brute when it surfaced, "did you manage this? The caves were sealed especially to keep you in. It couldn't have been easy to break through to the surface."

"Well it was funny actually," said the clone, yelling as he engaged another opponent (a Brotherhood man), and sent him flying with a well-aimed kick, whirling around to punch another so hard in the jaw his head whipped to the side and he fell like a stone, out cold.

"There we were, running through the tunnels, trying to find a way out since some smart-ass decided to plant a sealing jutsu on the exits, and the ceiling started to cave in. Thanks, by the way." The clone turned to fell another experiment with admirable speed and strength. Yuu ignored him.

If these were mere clones, Yuu was in for a treat when he came to the real one.

"You're an idiot to show yourself. Now we know you're here."

The clone shrugged, fighting its way through to a boy. "Then what are you waiting for?" it asked, scooping up the boy and handing him to another clone, who spirited off with the kid.

The clone turned, eyes dark and amused. "Come and get me, frog boy. Don't be shy."

"You're one to talk. No one's seen or heard of you in months," Yuu hissed through clenched teeth. The clone prepared itself to fight, but instead, Yuu feinted, then used the cover of a smoke bomb, confusing his opponent just long enough to drive a single senbon in its eye and drop down into the tunnels unnoticed.

He signaled his team through the radio as he fell, relaying the location and request for backup.

Uzumaki had been found!

He hadn't noticed the arrival of Konoha nin at the scene (how they had become aware of the battle was beyond Yuu), the crackle of Chidori to the left that cut a man's cries short. It could only have meant the arrival of the Copy ninja Kakashi Hatake and his team, and if he had noticed, Yuu might have realized the shadow trailing behind wasn't his.

* * *

><p>Naruto gripped his kunai. The experiments swarmed around the group like hornets, fell from the hole in the ceiling, landing heavily on the stone. Uchiha, the creatures chanted like a war song. Uchiha, Uchiha, Uchiha!<p>

There were so many. And they kept coming.

The clones burst into existence once more, making a formation around the refugees like a shield. Some recognized him.

"It's Uzumaki! He's here! That's who they're after!"

But no one dared move. And no one cried out against him.

"Damn them," Fuksaku seethed, and he and Naruto shared a glance. The clones began to fight. Rasengans burst in and out of existence, kunais flew, deadly chakra that acted like venom shot through the dark. Naruto hung near the center, as close to the fray as he dared, barking orders and letting kunai fly.

Then a child stepped into the circle.

"Uchiha!" a little girl screamed, orange eyes blazing as she ran for the crowd, and Naruto's stomach plummeted.

"No…"

But there were more of them, and he started to see them everywhere. Over there, a boy no older than ten, skin mottled and teeth sharp. He bit like a rabid dog. Twins who couldn't be any older than he was, melding into each other to form a monstrous hulk who spat globs of venom.

He'd never seen children used like this before. A little boy fell to the floor, throat slit, the result of a refugee grown bold, and Naruto shouted, his anger running hot.

"Don't kill them," he growled, and only the clones understood.

"There's nothing you can do for them," Fukasaku said, but Naruto ignored him. The humane thing to do, he remembered others saying. It was only the right thing to do to put them out of their misery.

Naruto disliked killing. He'd killed his first man at fourteen, an enemy nin who would have taken his life if Naruto hadn't acted, and he'd remembered the way the life seemed to bleed out of his eyes, slowly, so slowly he could see it. And he'd known, without having to check for a pulse, when the enemy had died. He hadn't slept that night.

He did what he could to prolong the inevitable, make the enemy turn around or surrender, or just cracked them over the head. But lately, there was no surrender, and he knew that, bitterly accepted it. Ao would have never let him leave his bedroom alive if he hadn't done something about it. The experiments he'd killed before knew no shame and never hesitated. Some he'd never even finished, just left to bleed on the road.

But using children…goddamn.

He thought of his own child.

_Not much different, eh, boy?_ the Kyuubi mused in a growl, pleased by the raw power and rage of the fighting child soldiers. It was thinking of the child. Naruto swallowed.

_Shut up_, he thought acidly. The girl finally clawed through the barrier, and a clone disappeared. Naruto sighed.

"Dammit."

He cracked the girl over the head with the handle of his kunai before she could slice into him, refraining from a fatal blow. Ahead, Fukasaku split the twins apart forcibly with a water jet that left them shrieking, and again, the clones worked quickly, attacking pressure points and leaving them passed out on the floor.

The water jets were pushing the crowds of cursed souls back.

_You could use me, Naruto_, the Kyuubi went on. _You know you could. Loosen the chains, just a little. You could turn the Rasengans into Bijuu bombs, and every clone would be able to feel it. More effective. Catastrophic. How long has it been? How long has it been since you've tasted that kind of power? You're afraid you won't be able to control it in this state, and you're probably right._ It laughed.

Naruto ignored it, though he thought he could hear the clinking of chains, subtle beneath the cries of the fight. The Kyuubi quieted after a while. More children came running at him, swarming like ants. He turned around to the refugees, shouted at clones to start taking them to safety; they weren't going to break through that easily.*

_Imagine_, the kyuubi rumbled as he shouted, and Naruto looked around him, saw bodies fly, children squeal, and civilians attempt to retreat. It was as if the world had slowed, just for him._ It'll be stronger than this. Powerful. Soon. Oh yes. Soon. But for now, you need me, and I need you. I will not fall prey to the eyes of Uchiha, and you would sooner die than see your own taken by him_. _Sasuke could use the help...to stay alive._

In his head, Naruto saw the demon's eyes widen and glow gold. Naruto yelled as a chakra bomb exploded, shielding his eyes with an arm. He thought of Sasuke as the blue light blinded him. One of his clones had perished, and he could see Sasuke in his mind, with no one to aid him but a single clone, eyes spinning red, a monster rising from beneath the cave floor and bones slipping out of tombs. He thought of the child he'd wanted to save from Kyuubi's influence. He thought of the people boxed in at the Temple with no way out. Guardians on one side, the Brotherhood on the other, and Madara in the last corner.

Was there any other way?

Fukasaku was saying something, but Naruto couldn't hear. It sounded like _have to get you out of here now, there's no other way!_ and _Naruto, are you listening?_

_You need me_, his mind whispered, and Naruto ground his teeth together.

It was right.

The Kyuubi paced restlessly, a leering grin splitting its mouth, jowls dripping, the shackles that bound its ankles clanking. It had ideas, Naruto knew, but Naruto had other plans. He grinned up at it.

_It's going to be alright, _he thought, and he needed that confidence.

"Naruto!" Fukasaku cried, but Naruto was already glowing gold.

* * *

><p>Sasuke could feel the pain beginning to pick at his temple. Sharp, throbbing, it sped down his temple to his jaw, made him wince and his vision blur. He yelled, bringing down his electrified sword with a hefty blow, slicing through the corpse of some long dead pacifist the monks used to revere. Madara had risen an (unwilling) army from their crypts. The others crumbled into dust, swallowed by Amaterasu.<p>

That, as Sasuke was beginning to discover, was the power of the Rinnegan. More crawled out of their holes, scraping along the ground and moaning for rest.

"Damn it!" the clone cursed, punching through another skeleton. Ahead, the creature Madara had summoned moaned like a dying thing. It stared at them through eight bulging and bleeding eyes, baring gray teeth from a lipless, too-wide mouth that looked as though it had been hacked into its face. It was an ugly beast; its skin seemed to have been sloughed off long ago, leaving nothing but the thick cording of muscle behind. Spikes sprouted from its shoulders. It stood hunched at its master's side, flicking away opponents with a nimble flick of its wrist and a pained roar.

It had _eaten_ Amaterasu's flames. Sasuke's mouth tasted like ash with the thought. Briefly, he wondered about Naruto.

"What the _hell_ is that?!" the clone cried, eyes narrowing. He looked worried. Sasuke didn't blame him. Again, he wondered about Naruto, if Fukasaku had led him to the exit. He wondered how pissed Naruto was.

Sasuke grimaced, carefully tucking away thoughts of Naruto. "Maybe a summon? Something unique to the Rinnegan?"

He'd been less than pleased when Madara's mask had fallen away, revealing a twisted face he didn't know, and a purple ringed eye he quickly came to despise.

The Rinnegan had an infuriating habit of seeming to absorb techniques. Without whatever illusion Madara had on himself, the destruction of his eyes had stalled him somewhat, but it did little to slow his steps. It was then Sasuke realized the illusion didn't account for all of Madara's tricks.

He came to realize why Kabuto had coveted the remaining bodies of Pein. He crouched into a fighting stance, the clone at his side. They tore through more rising bodies, interrupted in their sleep.

"Please," a dead monk begged through a skinless jaw, "End this tragedy." Naruto's clone apologized before making his head roll.

"We can't keep this up forever, Sasuke. We gotta find a way around this, he's gonna keep 'em coming and we need enough chakra for that freaking thing!"

Sasuke studied Madara out of the corner of his eye. Madara was definitely using a ninjutsu now, as opposed to a genjutsu (Sasuke wondered if the genjutsu had been a doctored form of Izanami) earlier. Sasuke had been thinking about it as a whole from the wrong angle, which annoyed him. While most of Madara's ghostly presence could be attributed to the older Uchiha's own homemade technique, without it he was solid and mortal, but he was still slipping through time and space.

Another trick he didn't know.

What Sasuke did know, though, was that an opening for opportunity had been created, and it was the best he could hope for at this point.

The clone seemed to realize this too.

"We need to get the bastard when he solidifies," he muttered. The clone was watching Sasuke out of the corner of his eye as they fought the demonic monster that been summoned. It was beginning to lash out with the rusty chains that hung off its body.

Chains that didn't just kill when they hit. They devastated. Sasuke's heart began to pump wildly; he'd been waiting for this. He tore through a chain.

"So," the clone began conversationally as it ducked and Sasuke spat a fireball. The beast roared and reared, swallowing the damn thing whole. Sasuke pretended not to hear. He was starting to get angry, trying to decide how best to hit the beast.

Madara just stood there, looking amused, like a little boy who was the only one lucky enough to have candy in the whole fucking playground.

The clone kept trying to speak. "The Uchiha bastard was pretty fucking pissed when-arrghh!" He tumbled away, words forgotten, narrowly avoiding destruction from chains that lashed like whips. The chains gouged the ground. Sasuke glowered at him.

The clone shrugged. "What? Just wanna know if you got anything to add. Last time I checked, I don't know jack shit about the Sharingan, and this bastard goes ghost on us, I can't get a hit, and you're the one with the Sharingan. I'm just sayin', it'd be pretty fucking nice right now if we had a better plan than just standing here on the defensive!" He leaped away when another chain came crashing down.

"Shut up and fight," Sasuke said, wordlessly communicating with the the clone for their next move. It was what was best about fighting with Naruto; he just seemed to _get_ Sasuke (and vice versa). The clone nodded, Sasuke breathed fire to the beast's side, causing a few eyes to swivel madly onto him, and Naruto's clone laughed as it distracted the beast, aiming a quick kunai for one the beast's eyes underhandedly. It struck true under the cover of their attacks, and the beast howled, taking a staggering step back. It was their first hit on it. The boys winced. Madara looked intrigued.

"Okay, whatever, I'll shut up," then in a mutter the clone added, "You're pretty damn lucky we love your prickly little bastard ass or I'd-"

Sasuke raised a brow as they darted backward, having heard.

"Love me, huh?" he replied, smug, the fight roaring in his veins and making the world shine in startling clarity. He relished it, riding a fighter's high.

The clone sputtered. "Wha-? Aw, shut up and fight, bastard."

Sasuke grinned. It was the type of grin he bore when victory was in sight, when Naruto gave him a run for his money in a fight, when he could see the end and knew he would walk away after.

It was Naruto he thought of waiting at that end, and he struck a little harder.

"I have an idea," Sasuke said suddenly, gasping as he avoided another chain. The clone looked over at him, but the hesitation sent him flying. Sasuke cursed, but it didn't disappear, just groaned.

"But it's going to take a while, and even then, it's a last resort shot." He helped it up, and together they swatted away another chain.

"I'm risking my ass fighting with you here, and you're not gonna say what your plan is? Great, I'll just, you know, stand over here while you keep the ideas to yourself!" the clone complained.

"You can't risk your ass if you're not real," Sasuke grunted. The clone comically jabbed a finger at him, looking affronted, and opened his mouth to shout obscenities (after they successfully avoided mortal peril, of course), but no more was said. Because before the clone had time to say "aw fuck you!" he suddenly yelped and twisted away, ducking just in time to avoid a needle charged with chakra. It hit the tomb behind him and cracked it.

Sasuke's eyes swiveled, and he cursed violently. The fighter's high began to lose its edge, and Sasuke thought of Naruto. Suddenly, the distance was too great, and the beast and Madara obstacles that were taking far too long to kill. His heart pumped painfully.

What was Naruto doing? Was Fukasaku enough? Had they found a way out of the caves?

"Well, well, well," said a masked figure, laughing at the beast in the room as he strolled inside. A chain came lashing toward him, but a stone hand reached out of the earth and caught the chain, yanking down hard, making the beast squeal and lose its footing. The cave rumbled and jolted with its fall. Sasuke's brow furrowed in a sneer.

Impressive.

This was a Guardian, and Guardians, as Sasuke knew, were dangerous bastards. His grin tightened. The clone had become silent.

"And who," asked Madara, "Do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

The Guardian was silent for a moment, watching from behind the eyes of his frog mask. "Madara Uchiha," he breathed "This _is_ a treat. I am Yuu."

"Yuu," Madara hummed, "Your earth style is...interesting."

"Thank you," Yuu said humbly, and by then the group was slowly circling each other. The beast roared. Yuu paused to form the seals for his Earth style, Sasuke aimed to get rid of him, and the clone began to glow like fire.

Sasuke paused. The clone looked down, examining its hands. A cold dread gripped Sasuke's gut.

"Shit," said the clone, stunned, and that was when it disappeared, taken out by a rock golem that squeezed it into oblivion.

Sasuke threw small shadow shuriken and whirled away, narrowly avoiding being crushed. There was no time to worry, or wonder what the hell that dobe was trying to pull. Did he not trust Sasuke to come out alive or get this done without a little power trip?

The hell was Naruto thinking-?!

This time the beast cocked its arm back, then sent its fist hurtling for the ground. Somewhere, Yuu bit back a pained curse after falling for the shuriken illusion, and Sasuke eyed him coolly when their gazes met, Yuu plucking the shuriken stars out of his shoulder.

"So the rumors must be true! Uzumaki and Uchiha, working together!" the Guardian called with a sneer, yelling when he attempted to get another golem around Madara, who laughed and simply stepped outside it. The Guardian moved with his rock fist, sending it crashing into the beast instead.

Blood began to drip to the floor from its ruined jaw. It made a pitiful sound, something between a whine and a howl, and sent both fists toward the nin. Sasuke merely sidestepped it, letting Yuu drain a little more chakra by impaling the beast's fists on spikes of rock, splintering its knuckles. It screamed.

"But which one is it?" he asked, and Sasuke ignored him, quickly sending out trip wires with a flick of his wrist after evading a hit from the beast. But Yuu's eyes were elsewhere, distracted by a genjutsu of Sasuke coming in behind him.

"Maybe you're terrorists?" Yuu wondered, then fell face first with a loud _smack_, the wires cutting into his ankles and yanking him mercilessly forward. The mask cracked and fell away, revealing black hair and a smooth, boyish face. Yuu spat blood. He rolled just as a chain crashed down.

"Maybe you're just rogues."

Sasuke filled his lungs with air, activating a katon jutsu. Yuu watched the fire eat along the wires, cackling as it sped toward him. He cut himself free, but not before sending senbon hissing through the fire at breakneck speed, and they flew toward Sasuke glowing molten orange. Yuu smiled at Sasuke with red teeth.

"Or maybe you're lovers?"

Sasuke howled as the senbon gouged into his eyes, but then he fell away in ash and flame. Just a clone. Sasuke laughed as he dropped in at Yuu's side, twisting his leg in the air to deliver a kick to the side of Yuu's face, sending him sprawling. He threw a tagged kunai, but Yuu escaped it.

"Maybe," Sasuke said, lunging.

The earth cracked where they had stood a second before as the giant dug its fingers into stone.

"You're making this irritating," huffed Yuu and formed seals. Snake, Dragon, Horse, and others, Sasuke followed the seals with spinning eyes as he sped forward, avoiding the giant. Madara seemed content to sit by and watch his opponents do each other in, no doubt amused.

Yuu seemed to have no interest in temporarily teaming up, and even if he did, Sasuke didn't doubt it would make watching his back even more unnerving. He was getting antsy, tired of the fight. Crucial time was slipping through his fingers, and he had no idea where Naruto was, if he needed-

His thoughts broke away as hands shot out of the cave floor, but this time, whole bodies followed, until entire golems were standing. Four of them. They stood upright with a crack and a cloud of flint, faceless, baring sharpened stone kunais that grew out of their palms. Three of them turned their attention toward Madara and the beast.

Sasuke imagined something made out of stone might take a little more force than an average clone.

He swung his sword, sparking with Chidori, but instead of decapitating the golem, he only slashed its neck, leaving a glowing shallow gash made by the heat of the electricity.

He grimaced. Alright. A _lot_ more force.

Sasuke leaped backwards before it could deliver a blow powerful enough to cave his skull in. But, he noticed, the golems moved more slowly, and couldn't leap or bound away. What was more, the move seemed to have cost Yuu a considerable amount of chakra, and Sasuke noticed a slight limp to his step, and his right eye was swollen shut.

Weaknesses he could take advantage of. Sasuke couldn't activate anything large like Amaterasu just then to take out Yuu quickly. He hadn't yet recovered from his last use of it, and his temples throbbed painfully at the thought. He cursed his timing, and wished he had saved it.

In a sudden burst of energy, he decided on a risky move, but if he executed it right, he'd take out a couple eyes (a head if he was really lucky) and Yuu altogether. The Mangekyo spun, and Sasuke knew he had seconds. But in that moment, Madara decided to step in, seeming to realize something interesting was finally about to happen.

He charged chakra to his feet, scaling the wall and sprinting over the ceiling, escaping the hefty throws from the stone golems. The beast reared and clawed at him, trying to grab Sasuke, but it was too slow, and the golems were pestering it into a rage.

Chains shot from the sleeves of Madara's cloak, and Sasuke twisted away. The beast reached for him, and he fell from the ceiling, flipping, landing on its wrist and running down its arm, his own arms glowing blue with Chidori. He leaped, and Madara laughed as Sasuke was seemingly absorbed.

But no! It had been an illusion the entire time!

The real Sasuke suddenly yelled,, slipping through Madara and sending dragons of electricity towards the beast. Three eyes were snapped off, and the other dragon raced for Yuu, who had believed the genjutsu for a moment too long.

Before he died Yuu threw a charged kunai, and as Sasuke watched it draw closer in slow motion, he realized he wouldn't be able to move in time as Madara chains came for him yet again. But before it could hit, the kunai disappeared, and figures entered the tomb. Three glowing gold, one with pink hair, one wearing a familiar mask, another riding an ink foodog, and the last few wearing ANBU masks.

With a yell and blue glowing fists, Sakura decimated the remaining stone golems that had turned their attention on the group. Yuu's death did little to compromise their existence.

Sasuke sighed a little in relief, joining them on the defense.

"Look who I found wandering the tunnels," said a clone with a laugh. At the clone's side, Kakashi's own Mangekyo spun, and he locked gazes with Sasuke. Neither moved, the tension spiked, and Sasuke looked away. Sakura stared at him, wide-eyed but silent. The others kept a wary eye open. Sasuke ignored them. He narrowed his eyes at the clone.

"Naruto-" he started, staggering a little, but the clone held up his hands.

"Everything's fine as long as we're still here," it reminded him. That did little to calm him, but Sasuke nodded.

"Well now," said Madara, startling everyone, and Sasuke raised a brow. Madara was clutching the side of his face with a hiss, blood seeping through his fingers from a fresh gash.

_Did I nick him after all?_ Sasuke wondered. He cast a glance over the people gathered beside him. Kakashi had become very still. Sasuke frowned when he blanched, wondering what he knew, but when Kakashi began to talk his voice was steady.

"Sasuke, tell us what you know," Kakashi pressed. He seemed to be ignoring the fact that they hadn't seen each other, without death threats, for the past few years. Sasuke made an exasperated noise in his throat.

"Tch. That isn't much. But his illusion fell away. You can hit him now. He absorbs techniques though, and seems to be using a space-time jutsu to get away before you can hit him. That giant is protecting him. Somehow though, I must've managed to get him. That cut's new. Just don't know when it happened, but maybe we can find a way to duplicate it."

Kakashi hummed, noticing the cut on Madara's face.

"If we can get the head off that thing," he murmured, and Sasuke snorted.

"Been trying. The most I've been able to do is gouge out eyes."

"But," Kakashi chimed in, holding up a finger, making Sasuke feel like he was thirteen again, which he didn't appreciate.

"I have Kamui. It's what I did to save you from that kunai. The technique uses the Mangekyo to transport objects to different dimensions." He fiddled with his hitai-ate, looking over at their their opponents grimly. Sasuke scowled, staring at Kakashi's Mangekyo eye.

"I'll rip off the head this way. Take it, the rest should go," he finished, and Sasuke grudgingly had to admit it sounded like a fine plan.

"Alright, but we should distract him. And I know there's a period of time he solidifies. See that cut on his cheek? Wasn't there before."

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully again and said nothing.

"Naruto-" Kakashi began, and a clone grinned.

"On it!" A rasengan unlike Sasuke had ever seen was beginning to form, blue and purple and buzzing. It looked ominous. It made him take a step back and Sasuke didn't even know why.

Then he knew.

It reminded him of the bombs the bijuu made. It reminded him of death. A clawed hand made purely of chakra held it, raised behind Naruto's clone like a chakra tail. It surged forward toward its target. While Madara avoided it, another clone snuck up behind, attempting to get a hit on Madara while its brother clone was sliding through him.

It was a decent plan, but it didn't work, and Madara sensed the second clone. getting rid of him first.

At that time, Kakashi was kneeling, eye wide, and Sasuke watched in morbid fascination as the head of the beast began to twist and contort, like it was being sucked through a vortex. But as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

Sasuke cursed, and Kashi grimaced.

"Not so fast," chided Madara. "But you efforts are beginning to bore me. I think I'll take my leave and leave you to the statue. There's nothing left for me here now, and what I want, I'll have in due time." He began to ripple away, and Sasuke yelled, but suddenly, the vortex stopped, and Madara stood solid on his ground.

"Gotcha," Kakashi whispered, and Madara swept an irritated gaze over the gathered group. Kakashi rose.

"That eye isn't yours," he growled. Madara cocked his head. Sasuke's eyes swiveled back and forth between them, as curious as ever. Kakashi leaned closer to Sasuke and a clone to whisper.

"I have the other eye."

Sasuke started, understanding beginning to dawn on him. Kakashi's Mangekyo came from a dead Uchiha teammate, and by Kakashi's earlier reaction, he had known the man the body had once belonged to.

"That's him," Sasuke whispered, not having to explain who him was. The clone looked back and forth between them, its face pinched.

"We share the set of eyes, so our dimensional plane is linked. When I saw Obito's face and you explained that the cut on his face wasn't there before...it must have happened when I transported it. When he used his technique next, it slashed him. Though I didn't realize it until he stopped my Kamui on the statue's head. If we go for a hit again-"

"You absorb the technique, and it'll hit him once he activates his own," Sasuke finished, pleased. The clone sighed, twisting a finger in its ear.

"What?"

"Just go for another diversion," Sasuke quipped. It pulled a face at him.

"So sensei and Madara-" It made a gesture with its hands like it was adding two and two together.

"Kakashi has the other eye that belongs to that body," Sasuke explained patiently. The clone seemed to give up and it shrugged.

"Whatever, I'll go in for the hit." This made it grin, and another brother clone began to fidget at the idea, grinning ear to ear.

"Alright!" it said with a fist pump, and Sasuke looked away. The last thing he needed was the clones realizing he'd smiled. He'd never hear the end of it.

Distancing himself from the group, his eyes spun.

If Kakashi's plan didn't work, they needed a backup, and Sasuke's adrenaline spiked as his eyes quickly mapped the movements.

The clones went in for the kill, bijuu bombs bright. Madara, who seemed exasperated at the idea that he now had to get his opponents out of the way to leave, grudgingly engaged in battle. He took a clone with practiced ease, then let another slide through him completely. It slipped through him, but the moment its feet touched the ground, and Madara eased back onto the cave floor, there was a pop, an agonized grunt, and Sasuke watched as an arm flew away, useless, as the area by Madara's shoulder exploded.

It hadn't killed Madara. But they'd hit him! The relief and excitement was palpable.

But the arm slowly slithered across the ground, back to its owner, and like puddy coming back together, the arm reattached itself.

"Maybe you can try that again," said Madara.

Well. That complicated things.

* * *

><p>The chains rattled.<p>

"A little more, Naruto," the Kyuubi urged quietly. Its eyes were wide, and its knife-like claws were curled around its prison bars. It was salivating. Behind its prison, the demon fox was hunched, straining against the steel chains left by Kushina what felt like so long ago. It had been too long. Too long since it had needed to strain against its restraints, that sometimes Naruto hadn't even noticed his mother's touch.

"A little more."

Naruto stared up at it. He could feel the power slipping through his veins, the merging of himself and the Kyuubi. It was almost like a high, a trip, and he just needed a little more to do this right. He was clenching his jaw so hard his teeth began to ache.

A part of him didn't want to stop.

But he could feel it; the anger, the evil chakra lurking beneath, and its burn was making him sweat. If he wasn't careful, he'd slip. Tailed Beast Mode was easier to do when hs seal wasn't weak, when the Kyuubi's influence didn't bother him like it did now. It was dangerous. It was risky. Maybe it was stupid. He could hear the child's heartbeat, fast and strong like a gallop echoing through the prison.

But he'd begun to realize there was little else to do. The enemies they were up against were legendary. Sasuke and others couldn't do this alone, and the clones would be of more use to everyone if they had access.

"A little more." The demon spoke in a trance, as if drugged, teeth bared against the steel.

The tug between host and demon intensified, and Naruto bit his cheek. Carefully, he wove his way around it. It had always been difficult to do, and it was harder now.

"No," Naruto whispered. "That's enough."

The fox eyed him quietly. "More, you fool, or would you wish us dead?"

"It's enough."

The demon thrashed, snarling. "You'll kill us all."

Naruto turned away from it.

"Come back here, whelp!" It rattled the bars, and the prison grew loud with the heartbeat and the sound of the Kyuubi raging. Naruto kept walking, reaching for the veil between his consciousness and reality.

"You think you're so clever! Getting me to relinquish just enough before severing our tie. Oh, hoho, you think you know the bond between host and demon so well. You can't do this without me! You can't control the current of this power without being fully merged. Uzumaki! Stupidity runs in your veins, your mother was just as infuriating!" It was desperate now, and the chains bit so deep into its skin as it fought the pool on the floor began to darken with blood. "Leave and you will die! "

Naruto opened his eyes.

The surge of power hit him like a brick wall, and he grunted, catching himself from falling down to one knee, as the chakra around him rose and flickered like flame. HIs hands were raised, as if he could pull on the strings of what he'd done and tug it back. A few clones paused to look back, faces slack.

They knew what this meant.

"NO!" Fukasaku cried, staggering. Naruto clenched his fists, fighting down the current.

_This will kill us!_ The Kyuubi howled. _You need me to control this power-_

He tuned it out, and instead focused on the sound of hearts beating, on memories of Sasuke and his comrades. He thought of his mother saying _you have to be strong. For everyone._ The world was washing out gray, his heart was beating too fast, and the sounds of battle dimmed to nothing, until all he could hear was his own breath.

The child moved desperately inside him, as if it were frightened.

"Naruto!"

He clenched his fists, and the world grew brighter, louder, and he gasped. Then there he was, standing in the circle, surrounded by clones and the odd refugee who's stayed behind. The experiments were pushing in, and Fukasaku was staring at him, wide-eyed, speechless.

Naruto brought his hands to his and exhaled, and the gold glow vanished, leaving him tired but unharmed. Like candles, the clones began to glow, one by one.

They hit like a tidal wave, pushed back the wall of soldiers with yells and bijuu bombs and rasengans. Up above, it was the same, and everywhere as ninja and Brotherhood and even toad battled, someone was watching Naruto Uzumaki fight.

"Let's go," he said suddenly, as a clear path to exit was available behind them now. Fukasaku scrunched his brow, looking back to see the remaining refugees take the cue to leave.

"How did you do that?" he wondered. "You shouldn't have been able to survive the transformation to Tailed Beast Mode without being fully merged, and if you had fully merged-" he shook his head, as if the possibility was too ghastly to consider, and it probably was.

Naruto had known he wouldn't have been able to keep his head fully merged.

"You took a risk," he scolded.

"It's war," reminded Naruto, "and if I hadn't, we'd be dead one way or another. C'mon, we have to hurry. Sasuke and the others are just ahead." He was going off memories of fallen clones.

"Others?" Fukasaku repeated, Naruto was already hurrying, leaving the soldiers to a sea of clones.

* * *

><p>There had been something to gain by forcing Kabuto to study White Zetsu, and that benefit manifested itself in the arm Madara hadn't lost.<p>

He was growing impatient now.

Kakashi possessed Obito's other eye as fate would have it, and had discovered the link shared between the two eyes. With Kakashi alive, Madara couldn't teleport away as easily, since all Kakashi had to do was keep an eye on him and negate it once he activated it. With the link they shared, it might not be as easy to do in the Copy ninja as he'd originally hoped.

Taking Obito's body had come with its own risks. He mulled it over thoughtfully. To make matters slightly more difficult, Naruto had somehow managed to control the Kyuubi's chakra despite the state of his seal.

The child, Madara guessed, must be incredibly _powerful_. The thought made the wait for its birth that much more tedious.

The clones, who hadn't been able to power-up past the infamous Sage mode, knew how to hit, and had bijuu bombs in possession. They were now a threat, and with each passing second, they became more of one.

Ahead of him, the statue he'd summoned was lashing out again, but the pink-haired ninja and the quiet Sasuke replacement, plus a few ANBU, were engaging it and keeping it busy. Madara watched curiously as a nin with a lizard mask leaped back behind the group to avoid a crushing blow, eyeing Sasuke pointedly.

That one had an agenda, Madara guessed, but lost interest quickly. He summoned his chains. He was tired of this, and he felt the ache deep within his Rinnegan eye, as if it could feel his next move. Before, there hadn't been reason to pull from his reserves. Now there was.

With a roar, he summoned his back-up plan, and he relished the looks of disbelief, of horror, that registered on the gathered nins' faces when Obitio's body disfigured itself further. Jagged protrusions shot out of his back, his skin twisted and hardened, and he could feel the power, and it made him angry. Angry, because for all this form was worth, it was incomplete.

Kabuto had admired it from afar once, when Madara had decided to indulge him with the secret he'd kept so guardedly. _So this form is still lacking the demon chakra it needs for you to bring the Ten Tails back_, he'd observed. _It would seem the child will do more than provide enough means for you to perform the Eye of the Moon plan. You really do plan to rule the world._ He'd been awed.

"Do you like it?" Madara asked through gritted teeth. "The incomplete form of the Ten-Tails Jinchuuriki." He said no more, didn't have to, only summoned a bijuu bomb and hurled it. It wasn't at its complete strength. It couldn't do the same measure of damage as Naruto's, but it was sufficient, and incredibly powerful. As the group scattered, a hole was torn through the crypt, and a few ninja died cutting the group's numbers in half, Madara summoned another, forming it in his palms with clenched teeth.

Sasuke and a clone charged ahead recklessly. Madara snapped his chains, slipping the power of the bomb down the steel. He whipped it again, and the chain tore through the cave so forcefully, the gouge it created gave way to a new tunnel beneath the crypts.

And this was only a taste of power!

Someone came up behind him.

Maybe another day, Madara might have been surprised at the speed at which Naruto's clone suddenly appeared. The one he'd been concentrating on charged with Sasuke, but another had burst into existence behind him quite suddenly, roaring some nonsense about justice and spitting mad. As Madara twisted to avoid the clones' deadly hits and avoid the link with the Kamui, his eye found Sasuke's eye opening, bleeding, activating Amaterasu.

Madara's own eye spun, and when the black flames exploded into existence, angrier than any inferno from a pit in hell and destroying a clone in the process, Madara quelled the flames with a raised hand and a wicked grin.

"You've tried that before," Madara reminded him patiently, "And it didn't work."

Sasuke's blade gleamed in the gloom, and Madara met him with a laugh and a shower of sparks.

He kicked the boy in the jaw, twisting and flitting away from the clone who attempted to to bore a hole in him with Rasengan.

When his feet touched the ground, a curious sensation gripped him as he gingerly lifted a hand to his face. He couldn't say what it was, but his gloves came away with slick blood, the side of his face searing.

How infuriating.

"You think you can hit me," Madara raged, instantly quelling Amaterasu once again. The Jinchuuriki's clone came forward.

"It's not too late," he said, outstretching a hand.

Madara grinned bitterly. "It was always too late." He leaped, met Sasuke's blade in a shower of sparks, this time going for Sasuke's throat with the chains. He avoided the Rasengan to the face, choosing a devastating kick to the ribs for the clone, but it only skidded across the ground.

"You'll pay for what you've done!" a shout came from behind him, and Madara met the clone sneaking up on him head on, bisecting it with a clean strike from his chain. Its face twisted, but then in his peripheral, he noticed Sasuke's eye open.

Amaterasu!

The black flames howled, but Madara was faster. The bone-eating fire disappeared. The Jinchuuriki outstretched a hand.

"It's not too late."

Madara spat as he spoke, breaths growing ragged, "It was always too late!" He prepared to fly forward, but he stopped. It was happening again: the odd sensation that he'd been here before-

Madara cursed.

"You were not supposed to know these secrets," he said to Sasuke's apparition. The boys were silent.

"How," his voice trembled, "did you come to learn of Izanami, hmm? I would love to hear the tale."

Sasuke's apparition said nothing.

"You are no god, Madara," came an amused voice Madara knew. He whirled, eyes narrowing in rage when he spotted Kabuto.

"Kabuto-!" he growled, readying to rid himself of the apparition. Kabuto's ghost only laughed. "You're done for."

"No-"

"It is not too late, Madara." Madara recoiled, looking up into the face of Hashirama Senju. He outstretched a hand, smiling sadly.

"Come," his ghost ordered. Madara backed away. His soul seemed to twist in rage in place of the heart he didn't have.

"I'm still waiting, Madara. After all this time..." He was waiting beside Naruto, both offered hands. Madara glowered.

"It's too late, Hashirama."

Madara looked at the Jinchuuriki's outstretched hand. Had he been any less of a man, Madara had no doubt he wouldn't have discovered the secret until it had been too late. He would have fought for eternity, raging at Hashirama and the boys, like a fool. Like others who paid the price for activating Izanami like idiots had. It was why it existed. To give someone a glimpse. To attempt to stop them with reason.

But Sasuke wasn't after reason.

And Madara Uchiha was more than a man, and Izanami would do little for the resistance.

"You are a fool, Sasuke," he muttered, reaching for Naruto's hand, "You would sacrifice an eye for this, hoping for a moment to catch me vulnerable, no doubt. It's a decent move. Maybe you'll keep me still long enough to tear out my throat and as a bonus you'll keep my consciousness locked away to forever battle and never win. And It's because you know you wouldn't be able to defeat me otherwise."

He took the Jinchuuriki's hand.

"You know I'm stronger."

The illusion began to fall away.

"Madara," Hashirama whispered, and he didn't fall away, didn't fade like Izanami. Madara's breath caught in his throat, and he yelled, gripping the chains on his wrist.

"I'll kill you again." He struck at the ghost, but it stood unharmed. He hit again, and the figures of Naruto and Sasuke grew closer. He simply activated _Kamui_, and they began to slip effortlessly through him, harmless.

And while Madara slashed, and the boys kept hurtling through him, something unexpected happened in those crucial milliseconds.

A horrific blade of wind and black fire crashed down like a vendetta from the gods. The boys, Uchiha and Uzumaki, were together, watching from afar, and Madara thought _the ultimate statement to the spirits of those long dead_.

Hashirama held out his hand said "Come, Madara. I have been waiting."

* * *

><p>For a fraction of a moment, Madara was still, and Sasuke felt the vision in his right eye leave. It was an odd feeling. He hadn't imagined he'd have to use it, but here he was. As it happened, his earlier, disastrous trip to Konoha had also included a theft of scrolls from the Naka Shrine. He'd kept it hidden away, saving it for a moment like this.<p>

Naruto's clone was stunned, but Sasuke had specifically ordered him to not as questions, to just _move_.

Earlier, it had smiled and said, "Hey, Sasuke, Amaterasu could use a little kick, eh?"

Sasuke had smirked. "I like that," he agreed, and the clone had formed a Rasen-Shuriken, one of his newer forms for the ninjutsu Naruto had been fiddling with while he had nothing else to do. It was massive, and with the Kyuubi's chakra, a formidable weapon. Sasuke ignited it with Amaterasu. It was a beast of a ninjutsu, and Sasuke felt a little hope.

It was a risk. And a risk was all they had. He imagined Naruto at the end of the road, at the end of the fight.

It was all he had.

"Now."

They moved, in sync, together, and when Madara's eyes opened, Sasuke used the Mangekyo to create a duplicate of himself and hide him and Naruto's clone from view. But something was off. Madara was hitting at something they couldn't see.

"I'll kill you again!" he raged, but then he caught sight of the illusion, and faltered. Now was their chance, and Sasuke's heart leapt into his throat. If the illusion was correct, Madara imagined Sasuke and the clone running through his middle, and if Kakashi was correct, that meant the rest of Madara was solid.

"_He's only teleporting the parts of himself that are under attack. The rest should be solid. Go, we'll take care of the statue. But Sasuke," he'd said, and Sasuke had turned. "Unfortunately, this changes little._" Sasuke had only grunted, but he'd understood. It was a warning.

He was still a criminal. He and Naruto reared back and threw.

As the shuriken sped through the air in those final moments, Sasuke thought of his father, his mother, Itachi saying _one last time, Little Brother_. He thought of Kanako and Kaoru and Emiko and Eiji. Flashes of them that flitted through his mind in quick succession. He thought of Naruto saying _this cycle of hate needs to end_, something he'd said once while they debated over the war. Naruto grinning and saying _I'm a fighter _and _there doesn't always need to be do or die situations_. He thought of them together, chest to chests, and Sasuke thought _you're all I have left_.

He thought of Kaoru falling through the lake and grumbling _I'll never get it right_! then beaming like he was on top of the world he'd gotten it. Later he'd said _Don't ever leave. It's like having a brother again._

_You're a good boy, Akira_, he remembered Eiji saying and Kanako had ruffled his hair and smiled at him. He thought of telling Naruto once _you can make yourself feel like shit, or you can mourn their losses and be grateful they were willing to risk their lives for you. You can respect their memory by realizing their were fearless and loyal!_

He stepped closer to destiny's end. Was this it? he thought, the end of his vendetta? _Think of the end_, he thought as the seconds bled away, _Naruto is there_.

Their faces beamed at him. Itachi, Kanako, Eiji, Kaoru, Emiko, Mother, Father and then there was Naruto, still here by his side.

Sasuke whispered, to them all, "This is for you."

The shuriken went for Madara's neck, and by the time the Uchiha saw it, it was too late. Sasuke exhaled.

Madara's head rolled, his body went up in flames, and the cave grew silent.

* * *

><p>Denbei was stunned.<p>

Madara Uchiha was dead, and the heroes of the evening were the world's most wanted. He laughed sadly. What a shame.

Tsutomu had died for this. He closed his eyes against the memory of his kunai ripping across his teammate's throat. He hadn't had a choice. Tsutomu had chosen his fate, and Denbei had had to deliver it.

Yuu had died for this, too, and Denbei had had to stifle his anger when he'd rolled over his teammate's dead body. He wouldn't fail them.

It was as if the group was too superstitious to call it a victory. They stared ahead as the statue crumbled away, as the body disappeared.

"Where is Uzumaki?" Denbei asked finally. "We must make sure the Guardians do not find him. They'll be here soon." That much was true. He'd learned Tsunade had ordered her ANBU to keep Uzumaki alive at all costs. It seemed to be the quickest most believable excuse.

Sasuke Uchiha was stumbling. His right eye had glossed over white and blinded. He was weak. A clone grabbed his arm, shouldering him.

"I'll follow," Uchiha was saying, but Denbei shook his head.

"We'll manage." He tried not to slip away too quickly after the clones, having been given an okay from Kakashi, relayed that Naruto was creeping up back through the tunnels, on his way to the Temple.

"We'll get him, meet back at the Temple." With that he was and two oblivious ANBU were gone.

What a day, and it was just getting better.

Denbei waited almost a mile before he attacked the unsuspecting ANBU. He drove a kunai through the throat of the man, and the woman put up a good fight, but eventually Denbei pinned her and swiftly broke her neck. He left them there.

He'd have Uzumaki before Uchiha knew what happened anyway. He carefully concealed his chakra.

He sped along, and there they were not long afterward, crawling out of a tight tunnel. He saw the face of Naruto Uzumaki contort, and maybe it was because there were bodies littered there. A few experiments had gotten into the caves. There was a toad with him too, tugging gently on his hand.

They hadn't detected him.

Denbei didn't think. Only threw.

* * *

><p>Fukasaku stopped when he exited the small tunnel and sighed deeply. Naruto wasn't far behind, and he wriggled free, only to freeze.<p>

The refugees they had left, with the girl who'd gone into premature labor and her mother, were lying dead on the floor, mutilated. The stench of their blood made him gag.

Dead experiments were lying face first on the ground, but one still twitched. The Wind woman on the far left was still alive, barely, clutching at a bleeding chest.

"My daughter…" she whispered, wild-eyed. But then she grew still and silent. Her her daughter lay not far from her, a hole in her stomach, unseeing eyes watching something Fukasaku couldn't see.

Naruto shook his head. He was tired. His thoughts were whirring. Too much was happening. "No. No." He kept one hand on the wall behind him, looking sick.

"Naruto-" Fukasaku tried to say.

"I kept saying we could carry her. Maybe if we hadn't left her, the others wouldn't have stayed," Naruto began, but stopped, swallowed. Fukasaku pulled gently on his hand.

"Let's go."

"NO!" someone shouted, a voice Naruto knew. Sasuke's voice. He paused again, heart skittering in his chest. _Sasuke was here-?_ He looked up, but it was already too late.

He saw the kunai coming for him in slow motion.

* * *

><p>Death was coming, Fukasaku knew. It was a terrible moment, because he knew there was no time to stall it, and for one sickening second, he thought if he did nothing, something would be done.<p>

The demon child would be dead in one swift motion.

But he looked at Naruto, and saw Jiraiya. Saw the boy he'd grown to love like a son, and he didn't think twice. There was no time to. He thought of Shima as he leaped, and how the Great Elder had said, _you'll know what to do when the time comes, Fukasaku_.

The kunai hit, and in the haze, Fukasaku saw the nin who threw it killed by Sasuke's blade.

He met Uchiha's eye and he found he had no regrets.

* * *

><p>Naruto stared at the little toad by his feet, pierced by a kunai. The point was sticking out of his back under the shoulder blade. His webbed fingers were tugging at it reflexively, and Fukasaku gasped, eyes bright.<p>

Slowly, painfully, he knelt by the toad sage's side.

"I could have blocked it."

Fukasaku shook his head. Little torches in the caves the refugees had made spilled weak light on the toad, and Naruto noticed how pale he was becoming, how quick the blood was spreading. It was happening too fast. His breaths were catching in his throat, his hands were shaking. The Kyuubi was rumbling, the child was kicking, and Naruto didn't know what to do. He cradled Fukasaku's head.

"No. No, Naruto-boy, it's alright."

Naruto hadn't realized he was crying. "It's not supposed to be this way."

"Nothing ever is," the toad said with a dry laugh. He grimaced. Someone was running over. Sasuke, Naruto realized numbly, gripping him by the shoulders, whispering his name. He thought of the grip on his shoulder, tight, grounding. He held onto the feeling, if only to keep him a little sane. He realized his right eye was gone, but he was too tired to ask questions.

Naruto stared at Fukasaku and thought of all the spite he'd harbored, and the guilt settled on his shoulders like lead. But he didn't know how to say it. "I'm sorry," he ended up saying, but Fukasaku just shook his head.

Kakashi sensei was there, he noticed, but after everything he'd seen that day, it was hard to be surprised. Sakura and Sai were edging closer, too. Sakura hurried over, hands glowing green. She stopped after a few seconds.

"Keep going," Naruto urged. Sakura was silent. "Keep going," he said again. She looked at him.

"I…" she didn't finish. She didn't have to. The toad glanced around them.

"We have to leave, Naruto," Sasuke said gently. "The Guardians are coming." Naruto shook his head numbly.

"Can't just...leave him here."

"Yes you can," Fukasaku rasped. "You have to get out. Kakashi, come here," the toad beckoned. Kakashi took a step forward, and Naruto tried to process it, _all_ of it, Tsunade and Fukasku and others, but all he could feel was Sasuke's touch and Fukasaku's cooling skin.

A plan was being formed. Kakashi nodded and said _that'll work_.

"Naruto, Sasuke, see those boys over there?" Kakashi pointed. Naruto looked. Sasuke didn't. "Take their clothes. And here," he produced a kunai. "Hurry up and shave. They've taken account of the refugees here."

Naruto stared. The boys were Daisuke Hara and a blind refugee named Akira. He had met them on the cart he realized belatedly. Just a couple of days before. They'd been alive. It bothered him more than it should have. Maybe it was just the thought of looking at the death toll. Someone was dragging the traitor nin's body over. Naruto couldn't tell who.

Sasuke's hands were in his hair. His fingers took hold of locks and began to cut. He nicked Naruto once, apologized, but Naruto didn't feel it. A trickle of blood slipped down to his chin. Then he was bald and running a curious hand over the top of his hand wondering why now, of all moments, he wanted to laugh. Sakura was hacking away at Sasuke's hair until there was nothing left.

It rushed forward too quickly. They were changing into robes and shirts, Sasuke tying bandages over his eyes, and Naruto didn't take his eyes of him once, as Kakashi gently wrapped the side of his face, as if he'd been injured. Something was trying to burst out of him, but Naruto didn't know what. The memories of fallen clones were rushing through his mind. Finally, he couldn't contain any longer.

"I don't want to run."

No one listened.

"I DON'T WANT TO RUN!" he yelled, and everyone stopped.

"Madara is dead," Kakashi said suddenly, but Naruto already knew. "And the war might be over, the laws are still in effect-"

Naruto shook Sasuke off, who wandered over to place a hand on his shoulder once more. "We can't let them win like this," he said violently. The others paused.

Kakashi clasped Naruto on the shoulder. "I promise you, both of you," he looked at Sasuke, "There will a time when we will gather, and we'll make this right. I promise. But for now you _need_ to go. You're still wanted men."

Fukasaku's throat began to swell, and Kakashi's Mangekyo spun. The toad croaked, the sound echoing off the cave walls, and before long, the bodies looked different. It was Naruto now, on the floor dead, with a hole in his belly. He stared at the dead version of himself. An illusion, he knew, and it made him strangely numb to look down on it. A very clever illusion. A dead Sasuke was not far from the dead body of Nagisa that had been tailored to look like Naruto ("there are still those who know of the child," Kakashi had explained). Daisuke and the Guardian nin turned into a slabs of rock.

"By the time it wears off no one will ever know." With that Fukasaku shuddered and died, and Naruto gently removed his hand from under the sage's head, watched Fukasaku's head loll against the stone.

The world was slipping away again, turning into something he didn't recognize, and angrily, he turned to face the group before him. They knew the look in his eyes, and they didn't say anything, only nodded.

Goodbyes weren't said, but they were felt, and then Sasuke was tugging him forward.

"I'm holding you to that promise Kakashi sensei," Naruto said, and his old teacher only nodded seriously.

"Wait for my summon," he said.

Sasuke was gripping him again, pulling him towards something unknown, and it made him think again. Made him look forward, made him resist the calls of the demon inside him.

Ahead, Naruto could see the first pale rays of daylight. It was coming closer, Naruto realized. A new dawn was fast approaching. Sasuke's grip on his wrist tightened, and Naruto kept moving. Sasuke kept him anchored as they ran, and Naruto was beginning to think that maybe, he always would.

* * *

><p><em>The Jinchuuriki is dead! The Jinchuuriki is dead! He's killed the Uchihas! The war is over! <em>Word spread like wildfire, and the sun rose on a day of rest. The grass smelled sweet, like it hadn't just been sprinkled with blood, and the morning was warm, the sky clear. Refugees whispered and wept for the end of the war and held their loved ones close. Those lucky enough to have survived the caves went on with proud and exaggerated detail about the strengths and powers of Uzumaki. One man even claimed to have seen Madara Uchiha himself. He was was sitting in the grass on the Temple lawns, watching a pretty nurse bandage and stitch a gash on his bicep.

"You're so full of shit," said the woman he was trying to impress (she hadn't bought the tough guy act when he'd whimpered as she stitched him up, so he'd changed tactics). She didn't even look up from her work.

"Am not. Saw his mask too. Orange and one-eyed, just like they said."

"Uh huh," she said with a roll of her eyes. "But I _really _saw Uzumaki. He saved me." She smiled softly, and the man snorted.

"He saved a lot of people, and he was kinda everywhere," he said offhandedly, and yelped when she finished his last stitch too tight.

"There you go!" she said with a too-wide smile. "All fixed. Best get on your way if you want out of the mountain range."

"But the line is _so _long," he complained, uneasily looking toward the gate. "They're interrogating everyone."

"Just a precaution," said the woman with a shrug. "The Brotherhood's men are also being rounded up."

Her patient made a face. "Still, they found the bodies, why do they need to check who _we _are?"

The woman didn't answer, only shooed him away to make way for a woman carrying a child with a broken arm and burned skin. The death of Madara had sapped the strength of some of those infected by the curse seals, and the man uneasily avoided those who had come at him like rabid dogs only the night before. He watched the girl gently laid on the blanket on the grass and say her name was Emiko. She could have a sweet face once you got past the burns on her cheeks, he decided, and wondered if she'd get better.

With that, the man grumbled, mourning the loss of his nurse's pretty face, and halfheartedly shouldered his bags. He cursed and sadly shook his head when he saw the line out of the Temple grounds. He dropped his bags, stuck behind two bald kids who seemed to have suffered a few injuries. They didn't talk much, only stuck close to each other, heads bent toward the other like one of them had something to say.

It took all day!

By afternoon, he was at the gate, and nearly praying his thanks. The guards at the gate stopped the boys ahead of him, a book with all the recorded refugees before them. Those who couldn't be identified were being pulled aside. It was nothing too upsetting, and everyone was able to see these questionings (and often craned their necks to get a good look), as they happened in line. A few had already happened, and not long after, those in question were always released, save for the thief whose cloak nearly exploded with all the odds and ends he'd collected, as well as some important ninja thing he'd taken off an ANBU body.

Not that he had anything like that, of course.

"State your names," the guard droned, bored with his post.

"Daisuke Hara," said one of the bald kids in a voice that rasped slightly. Everyone seemed to be hoarse today. Beside him, the other boy drawled, "Akira." The man almost laughed. No last name? Surely this kid was going to be pulled aside. The guy said something else, quietly, and the man frowned as the guard, who'd begun to look a little more interested like he always did before he pulled someone aside, suddenly blinked, and gave them the go ahead.

The blind one gripped the shoulder of his friend, and the two set off, close together, never once putting a distance between themselves, even as the road opened up and the world grew wider beyond the Temple walls. He suddenly wished _he _had a traveling companion to help heft these stupid bags!

He tried to slip away along with them, but the guard suddenly shook his head and blocked his path.

"State your name."

Apparently, as Genku Iwate learned, not even retired bandits got to leave the Temple walls that day.

"Aw come on! I'm not even in the business anymore!" he cried as he was apprehended, much to the amusement and curiosity of the onlookers, "You let that other kid go without a last name! Hey!"

"Everyone beyond the wall was cleared to leave," said the guard. "I promise you, Iwate, _no one _with a history is getting past this wall today. Just a precaution as we investigate the scene." And he tapped his bingo book, much to Genku's dismay.

Little did Genku, or the guard, know that two of the world's most wanted young men had just strode out of the Temple walls together.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this took like two weeks instead of one. Also, **_So much for my "breaking up chapters so they're not huuuuge and easier to read" read. In its entirety, Izanami was almost 100 pages long. Why I thought for a second I'd put it all in one chapter back when, I have no idea. I'm sure everyone is like, WHERE'S THE BABY. _****

****_Next chapter :) The Birth of A New Age_****


	40. Birth of A New Age

_Birth of A New Age_

It was summer when the storms came. Roiling black clouds crawled over the mountainside, humid and dense, spitting thunder and lightning.

The sheep bleated, the wolves waited, and when lightning veined the sky and thunder trumpeted after, a father told his son that demons were gathering, singing up the storms, as he herded the boy inside.

A shout pierced through the wall of evening heat, a distant and pained howl, carried by the wind, drowned out by thunder seconds later. The farmer, HIro, paused to look over his shoulder, out to the black sky, to the smoke rising above the trees ahead.

"You were joking about demons, right, Papa?" his son, Enma, asked before his father nudged him inside. Hiro said nothing, only parted the curtains and peered out into the storm later.

There was a house up the road, lonely and broken and far too old, abandoned during the war. But two refugees had patched the holes in its walls and fixed the glassless windows; had tended its garden of weeds until it grew vegetables again, repainted, slaved away. Sometimes Hiro could see smoke rising from the chimney. The farmer had met the boys once, earlier at the end of spring, at the end of war. What were their names? Ah yes, Daisuke and Akira.

Akira had been badly injured, and kept his scarred eyes hidden from the world behind a blindfold and wasn't much of a talker, though the last time he saw the young man, he'd taken to tying the dark piece of cloth around his right eye, a bandanna as a makeshift eyepatch, leaving his left free. Daisuke made up for all of Akira's silence with laughter and a good-natured spirit, but he looked to the horizon like he was waiting for the end of the world. There was something older about him. Sadder and wiser.

Hiro rarely crossed paths with them, but when he did, he liked their company.

He thought of the shout, and suddenly he wondered, if he traveled up the road in the morning, if someone would still answer the door. And so HIro took his son into his arms and watched the storm warily.

The rain fell harder. The wind pulled at the trees, and up the road, in the little house Hiro knew, a demon tried to break free.

It happened in the kitchen, the fight, and there was blood on the floor to prove it. Every room lay empty, forgotten, except the kitchen. The lights were out, and only the erratic spark of lightning made the house glow blue.

It was quiet in the kitchen. Too quiet, and Sasuke knew that. His vision blurred, shifted, and he hunched over, eye shut, in a vain attempt to keep the pain in his head at bay. The muscles in his legs were screaming in protest; he'd been in a crouch for...he didn't know anymore. It had gone on too long. He clapped a hand over his eye. He'd never kept the Mangekyo activated for so long. His left eye stung. Ached. Bled.

Sasuke had seen many things. Terrible things. He'd lived through the fourth Great Ninja War and watched thousands of souls die. He'd seen the dead sprawled through streets of blood when he was no older than seven. Yet, there had been few moments in his life where Sasuke had experienced true terror. This...this had been one of those times, and it had taken Sasuke everything he had, everything, not to look away and pray, even though he knew no gods. He wasn't used to it. He wasn't used to someone needing him like this when he could do nothing but say _It'll be over soon. I promise. I promise._

Before him, Naruto began to slump over, and Sasuke kept his head from lolling with a quick hand, and a hoarse, "Hey. Don't go to sleep. Stay awake." Naruto only grunted in response, something unintelligible. He didn't open his eyes. He was still sitting up somehow, slumped, chin to his chest, back to the counters with the chipped blue paint that they still hadn't painted over. The ones stocked with the powdered milk they'd collected over time, and Sasuke could remember Naruto putting away a tin of it, looking at the jars in a row, an unreadable expression on his face, but then he'd catch Sasuke looking and smile.

They'd spent spring in the house, toiling away, ripping away rotten wood, painting rooms, Naruto getting away with pranks (like that time Sasuke sat in a puddle of white paint), and Sasuke pretending he was too much of a stuck-up to laugh. The nights were spent against warm chests, wrapped in arms and legs, laughing in the dark because Naruto was kissing a trail up Sasuke's stomach and saying _see? No one's around to hear_. They didn't have a bed, or even a rug then. They'd rock on the cold floor until the world melted away and Naruto would rake fingers through Sasuke's hair, pulling him close when it all spilled over. Other nights it was Sasuke pulling him close, whispering in his ear, fingers digging into hot skin, looking for an anchor. Some days Naruto would grow quiet and stare out the window, and Sasuke knew what he was waiting for. Sasuke would only need to touch him lightly on the shoulder, and he'd turn around, come back.

But Naruto only sighed when Sasuke's hand brushed his shoulder.

It had only been seconds since it happened. And Sasuke should have felt relief, now that the hours were done, now that Kyuubi was spent and chained, now that Naruto was finally quiet and not damning him to hell. They could rest. It was over.

But there was no relief. And Sasuke's heart kept on pumping, like he'd been running the entire last five hours. His hands shook, and Sasuke looked down.

_It_ was in Sasuke's lap, the child, and Sasuke wondered if the gods he didn't want to believe in were laughing at him, at all of them, because the child was still, and the cord was wrapped, twice, around its little neck.

He couldn't stop the tremor in his hands, even when he shook his hands out forcefully, and his throat went dry. The heat in the kitchen pressed in closely, but Sasuke's skin puckered in a chill. He remembered a promise he'd made once, and he felt sick with it all. This was the moment, he realized. It would have been the right moment to have done nothing at all.

_Did it matter anymore_, he wondered.

But maybe Sasuke had stopped believing in ill fortune somewhere along the way, because his only impulse was to do something. But he didn't know what. He stared at it. It had a human face, round and innocent. And tiny, tiny, human hands. Small, long feet that could both fit in the palm of one hand. A dusting of dark hair. A baby boy.

He could have done nothing.

Instead, Sasuke worked quickly, freeing the baby of his binds, hooking a finger in his little puckered mouth,

Sasuke vaguely remembered calling it _little demon_ as he rubbed its back, blew air into its mouth. _"He doesn't mean that!"_ Naruto would laugh, but Sasuke never missed the look in Naruto's eyes. The trepidation. And Sasuke would say _yes I did_.

The newborn was quiet. It twitched.

And Sasuke prayed even though he didn't know he was doing it, and shouted without looking up, "Don't go to sleep, Naruto!" .

"...'m tired…" came the croaked response, and Sasuke nearly shouted in frustration, because Naruto was already slipping, already falling asleep.

"I know," Sasuke said quietly, pressing on the child's tiny chest, puffing air into his mouth and waiting. "I know." Desperate, Sasuke began to rub the baby's back, his feet,(hadn't he seen midwives doing that once to make babies breathe when they didn't cry? He remembered seeing it when his cousin was born, and he'd gotten in trouble for trying to look.) hoping for something, anything.

"...s...wha's...happening?" Naruto's head shifted, tried to look up, winced, grimaced and groaned, sinking back against the counters. He'd lost a lot of blood, Sasuke realized with mounting apprehension. He felt sick again. Images of what had just happened flashed before him, but he culled them quick. He hated this. Feeling desperate. Like he was trapped and could only watch from behind bars.

He could still hear the rumbling bass of the Kyuubi as it battled with Naruto, and it had said, _you can't win, Uchiha_.

Maybe no one had.

All Sasuke could think was, _this can't be all for nothing_. He bit back a growl of frustration. Gently righted Naruto's head and went back to work.

It had only been seconds, but it felt like hours.

He thought of Fukasaku saying _you never loved it. You never wanted it anyway_.

He hated that he was shaking, that he was exhausted and his thoughts whirred in a frenzy. He couldn't decide whether to look at Naruto and yell at him to stay awake, to hold on, or to keep doing something about this. He almost let the baby slide to the floor to catch Naruto's face in his hands.

Lightning sparked again, and this time, a thin, gurgling wail echoed through the kitchen. So Sasuke kept him in his lap.

It was alive. _He_ was alive, and Sasuke held him loosely as the baby began to stretch, reach out and clench small fists. It started to yell, gaining vigor as the storm raged on. Sasuke let him kick, let him cry, just let him lay there in his lap. He didn't know what to feel, what to do with the newborn. For a moment, Sasuke's mind was blank. He blinked at the tiny boy. Clumsily covered him in a towel.

His chance had come and gone, and Sasuke realized he'd made his choice. The baby tried to root against his thigh, and Sasuke laughed. It was brittle, the type of laugh someone laughed when they couldn't believe they were still alive.

The baby flailed, and Sasuke gently righted him in his lip. He thought he could see Naruto in this little face. His mother's nose. He hadn't….Well. Sasuke didn't know what he had been expecting. He hadn't expected it to feel this real. Hadn't thought he'd think of Mikoto.

He hadn't thought he'd be thinking of _his_ child.

The storm still raged, and the baby's cries grew louder. Sasuke's heart seemed to flip when he looked over at Naruto. He moved too fast, and the baby almost slid to the floor again.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, and he gently slapped at his cheek, "Stay awake. He's here. It's over."

Naruto sighed deeply, and Sasuke watched his chest rise and fall. Naruto cracked open an eye, motioned for Sasuke to scoot closer with a jerk of his chin. "Lemme see 'im."

On that night, the twenty-ninth of May, Minato was born.

* * *

><p>The pain had made his eyes water, and at one point, he'd thought he felt a hip snap, and when he screamed he'd almost wished for death. And the burn. Oh, the burn. HIs skin had been on fire as the Kyuubi tried to surface. His jaw still hurt from keeping his teeth clenched, as if he could have kept his teeth from sharpening into fangs.<p>

Only Sasuke had kept him anchored as the demon called. _We'll see who's left alive_, it had taunted, gleeful. But, as it threatened to overwhelm him, and he slipped from reality to the demon's cage, Naruto had seen his mother again, and he would remember it always, until the day he died.

Kushina had been beautiful. An angel, and he'd nearly wept upon seeing her. Briefly, he'd wondered if he had already died. She'd shushed him with a mother's touch, whispering strength in his ear. Her spirit had chains, he remembered.

_You cannot win_, the Kyuubi had growled. _You're stronger than I expected, and a being such as I can respect power, but one day, Naruto. One day I will be free._ And Naruto remembered, remembered hugging his mother, thanking her as she helped chain the beast so familiarly like she had before, and he remembered looking the Kyuubi in the eye. He laughed and said _then keep learning to respect me, cause this is as far as you go!_

He'd leaped at with a rasen-shuriken as it attempted to claw its way out of Kushina's chains, and that was all he could remember.

He'd heard a cry, asked to see, and then the world had faded away.

It was a dull ache now, his pain, bone-deep, and Naruto wondered how long he'd been lying there dreaming. The Kyuubi was strangely silent, after weeks of whispering to him. _I'll have my revenge, _it had said while he slept, _and I'll see it through the eyes of your son_.

Naruto moved his legs experimentally, didn't feel any broken bones. His throat stung, and he was so, _so_ thirsty. The room was dark, and he heard a whimper, a shush, saw the silhouette by the window.

It was evening again. The sky had reddened, like the mountaintops had pierced it.

Naruto didn't get up. He watched.

Sasuke was bare chested, the baby lying flat on his skin in a cloth diaper that looked too large. The newborn looked ruddy, darker than Sasuke, wisps of fine black hair on his head. They were asleep, in the chair by the window that Naruto liked so much.

Naruto stared at the baby on Sasuke's chest and thought _it's so small_. He tried to remember what it was. A boy, he thought, and he swallowed, wincing. He was so small, and it was all Naruto could think for a moment.

"Want me to bring him over to you?" Sasuke asked without opening an eye, startling him. His voice was flat, tired. Naruto was silent. He just...wanted to watch for a minute.

He'd thought about it. He'd wondered about it. But now he was seeing it, and that was different than just feeling it.

He swallowed, heard his throat tick along with it. "Yeah," he whispered. "Okay." His voice grated against a raw throat, made him sound like he was gargling rocks. Sasuke waited a moment before he sighed and rose from the chair.

Gently, gingerly, Sasuke placed the baby on the bed. He whimpered, stretched, stuck a fist in his mouth and scrunched his face.

"Maybe he's hungry again," Sasuke said tiredly, and Naruto only said, "hmm."

He watched him, his son, without moving. The baby opened his eyes, just for a moment, and they were dark. Almost gray. Slowly, tentatively, Naruto reached out, put a hand on his soft stomach. A little breath, a tiny laugh, escaped through his nose when he realized how large his hand was next to the newborn.

There had been many times when Naruto wasn't sure he'd ever see this moment. The fox inside him said nothing, and it was blissfully quiet in his mind.

Naruto brought the baby closer, tucking him away in his side, and that was when it happened: the moment he knew he loved his son.

* * *

><p>When winter came, Naruto looked to a gray sky, watched Minato stare up at the snowflakes with coal black eyes. For a moment he watched the edge of the sky, waited, as if someone might materialize out of the snow. Minato was seven months old, and his little mouth opened in a grin. He squealed suddenly, reaching for the sky with chubby fingers. Naruto tore his eyes away from the sky, barked out a laugh and said, "like this!" holding out his tongue.<p>

"He'll get cold," Sasuke called out suddenly, and Naruto laughed again, looking over his shoulder to see Sasuke cursing over the house's heater. His face was scrunched, and for the genius he supposedly was, heaters were an enigma.

"Let a pro show you how it's done." He marched over and handed Sasuke an over-bundled up Minato (who could hardly wriggle in all the clothes Sasuke had dressed him when Naruto had decided to bring him outside to see the snow).

"Hn. We'll be over here laughing when you're done," grunted Sasuke, and in the end, he had been.

Naruto had ended up cursing and kicking the heater ("You forget I said that, Minato! Daddy never said anything! And don't laugh, bastard, I'm still winning that bet-shit."), losing the "betcha can't curse for a whole day" challenge (and owing Sasuke a very good night in bed), and stalked to the shed to get an axe and spent his afternoon splitting logs for the furnace.

Night came quickly, in the living room of the little house, the family sat silently on a couch, Naruto's arm drawn over the back, fingers brushing Sasuke's shoulder, who was murmuring to Minato to get him to sleep, a hand rubbing circles into the infant's back.

Some days Naruto had to pause. Had to wonder how he got here on nights like these. Nights where his bones didn't seem to itch for a fight, for the home he left behind when he'd gone into hiding. Nights where he didn't mind sleeping, even if brought the nightmares leftover from the war that jarred him awake and left him lying in bed, paralyzed, until Sasuke's warm arm wrapped around him. Sometimes he dreamed of red moons and jackals and Minato screaming, but every time he woke and looked outside, the moon was always white as bone. Other nights, he could hear the Kyuubi's chains rattling. The fox would growl _soon._

Naruto spent the summer waiting for Minato to roll over. Sometimes their neighbors, old man Hiro and his wife Natsumi, came over for dinner after Naruto had taken the time to befriend them. They had a boy named Enma who loved looking over Minato. Some afternoons he spent working side by side with Sasuke in the garden. Smiling when Sasuke realized he'd planted the cherry tomatoes instead of the peppers he'd talked about. Laughing when he watched Sasuke from a distance, when Sasuke didn't think he was being watched. He'd hold Minato close and tell stories, and Naruto would think _this is nice_, before looking out the window and waiting for a sign. At night they'd slip out, leaving Minato's bedroom window open, and spar in the lawn like nothing had changed.

It was nice. Naruto wanted nice. But he also wanted peace. A freer world Minato could grow up in. The war had ended, but the Hidden Villages were hit hard in the aftermath. Assassinations, missing children with bloodline limits, new cutthroat politics, whole ninja academies shut down.

One night he and Sasuke had been hanging over the crib, watching Minato sleep, and Sasuke had said, "We'll need to teach him, Naruto. One day, the Sharingan might awaken." And he looked excited at the thought, interested, and Naruto thought him selfish then. He looked away from Sasuke.

"Bad time to be a ninja," he said resentfully. Sasuke only placed a hand on his shoulder and said nothing.

Now children who showed promise in the Hidden Villages' schools were being directed to an academy at the Fire Country's capital, where the Fire Lord resided, to become ninja for their country, not their village. Now the Villages were being populated by Guardian and Fire Country nin to protect the country's secrets. The new Hokage had a bland face, and a name Naruto had never heard of. It was a farce. A bald faced lie. Ninja from the war either adapted or were stripped of their title. Respected Jounin given resignation letters after showing anger or questioning this new way.

There had never been a higher number of rogues in Fire Country. Whispers and rumors spread like the grass seeds wandering on the wind, from Hidden Village to small town tea shop to the merchants on the road, to the workers in the rice paddies and the farmers in the mountains. _They're running, _Naruto heard once, _running 'cause they're not supposed to be ninja no more, and the Fire Country's labeled 'em criminals, and they're hunting 'em down like dogs._ And sometimes Naruto would _see_ the rogues flitting through the wood on the edge of their property, quicker than the sparrows fluttering from tree to tree. Sometimes he'd approach them, holding Minato close to his chest, and say _wait. Tell me what's going on out there_. It was the only way he knew.

"Naruto," Sasuke said suddenly, and Naruto turned to look at him.

"It won't stay like this."

It was all he needed to say, and Naruto sighed against him, splayed his hand against his son's back and watched Minato sleep.

Their time would come.

* * *

><p>When Minato was three, Sasuke was crouching in the tall grass of Hiro's wheat field. A cold war had frosted over the Grass Country's borders and stalled their imports. More farmers were growing wheat along with their rice. Tensions rose on the border. There was talk of war, but it never came. A wind blew hot, making the wheat sway like gold under an early autumn sun, and Minato pointed, saying, "Look, Father, look."<p>

It was a fox, bounding through the field, and Sasuke held Minato close. "Quiet," he whispered, "Or she'll hear you." The small boy clamped his mouth shut, eyes wide, and together, they watched the fox leap and bound and catch a mouse, trotting through the fields and streaking across the farmer's green yard.

"Where's she going?" Minato whispered. Sasuke smirked and ruffled his son's hair.

"She's got babies to feed." He hefted his son onto his back and stood tall, pretending to choke when the little boy clamped arms around his neck. Minato's head craned over the field and his eyes narrowed in such a way that he looked remarkably like Naruto then. Curious, determined, thinking so hard you could almost hear his thoughts.

Minato said, "Where's _my_ mother?"

Sasuke paused, making the boy giggle when he hopped a little to shift the boy on his shoulders. Minato spotted two other heads in the field up ahead, a tanned blond face stretching long arms above the wheat and yawning one of his "giant yawns" as Minato called them, and an older lined face that had seen too much sun. Naruto made a funny face and milked giggles from Minato, waving to him from across the field. There were other Narutos, too, trailing through the wheat across the field, some complaining, some joking, others working to bundle the wheat silently.

Today was harvesting day. On days like these, Sasuke thought of the Yamagatas, and when he'd get home, Naruto would join him in the kitchen after Minato went to bed, and Sasuke would light a candle. Like he did on his mother's birthday, his father's, Itachi's.

"You have me, you have your Dad, and that is all you need," Sasuke finally answered, and this seemed to sate the boy's curiosity enough, because he wriggled like an eel suddenly until Sasuke set him down, watching him streak through the wheat and leap into Naruto's arms.

"AH! YOU GOT ME!" Naruto was playing dead, trying not to wince when Minato bounced up on down on his stomach.

"Hey! You're not dead, Dad," said the boy very seriously, mouth twisting in a frown, and Naruto let his tongue loll out of the side of his mouth for effect. Minato poked him hard in the stomach, and Naruto giggled.

Game over.

Sasuke watched, as lover and child scrambled upright, weaving through the wheat, and Naruto chased Minato into Hiro's yard, scooping the boy up with a playful roar. Enma, Hiro's boy, came bounding out of the house to babble excitedly to Naruto, hand held out as little Minato play-punched it, as if he did it so often he hardly blinked an eye at the little boy's growling.

Hiro wandered over, mopping his brow with his shirt, squinting through the wheat. "Minato's a good little boy."

Sasuke grabbed a bundle of wheat. "He looks up to Enma."

Hiro made a noise of acknowledgement, then waved his hand dismissively before saying, "We got a letter today. There's a school opening up through Konoha at the mountain's base in the spring. Gonna be a wagon coming up the road now to pick up kids. Enma has a chance to go. Maybe be a ninja one day if he passes the requirements." A pained expression flickered across Hiro's face, but Sasuke also saw pride. He frowned.

"These aren't good times for ninja," he said slowly, watching as Naruto's grin slid from his face as Enma plowed on with what was probably the same story Hiro was relating. He watched Naruto's eyes flicker to the wheat, and he knew Naruto was looking for him.

"My boy wants to go. Look at him. So excited." Hiro scratched at his neck, watching his son.

Sasuke shrugged, reached for a bundle of wheat. "Minato will miss him."

And he would.

That night in bed Naruto sat on the edge, staring out the window, and Sasuke knew he was waiting. Minato had fallen asleep long ago, the candle had been lit, and they'd crawled into bed, huddled under the sheets, and Sasuke had watched Naruto's lips above him, watched them twist and grin and grimace as his hands followed the contours of his body, touching all the right places, his mouth seeking others. And Naruto had laughed in that carefree way Sasuke secretly liked so much, and said _don't wake Minato. _

Now those moments were gone, and Sasuke drifted in an out of sleep. The third time he woke, Naruto had no longer been beside him, brooding on the foot of the bed. He sighed, thinking of nights Naruto sat listening to the whispered threats of the demon fox, or thinking of some old prophecy that never came true. Naruto began to talk.

"I don't know why they still think it's okay to send Enma to that school," he said after a while, and Sasuke could hear the anger in his voice, the uncertainty. A part of him wanted to say _it's none of our business anyway _but then he wondered if Naruto figured it was, because of the way the war had taken shape. The Kobayashi's were his friends, _their _friends, and Naruto's friends had a habit of slowly becoming extended family.

Naruto had this habit of trying to shoulder too much. Sasuke exhaled slowly.

"I told Hiro," Sasuke sighed, reaching over to tug on Naruto's wrist and force him down, "that it wasn't a good time."

Naruto pulled himself closer. "Minato told me he wanted to be a ninja today."

Sasuke looked out at the moon. "What did you say?"

Naruto snorted. "That he wasn't old enough." He pulled away again, running a hand through his short hair like he had an itch. His knee bobbed. He was restless. Sasuke raised a brow. He knew the itch, and his eye drifted to the drawer near the closet, the locked one.

"Hn." He waited a moment to wake up, to stretch, before he said, "Wanna fight?"

A smile flickered across Naruto's face. He popped up and stretched, scratching his chest absently as he wandered for the drawer, a fox-like grin splitting his mouth. In the dark his tan skin seemed to ripple with the muscle underneath as he bent to unlock it. "Loser does the bathroom for a month." He paused to add with a snicker, "And has to give an early morning blowjob."

Sasuke rolled his shoulders, a little more interested. He scoffed. "Tch. You're confident_."_

Naruto laughed, twirling a kunai on his index finger before palming it, deftly leaping out the window with a cocky, "All the best are." And Sasuke was glad to see the shadow leave Naruto's face, the one that kept waiting for word from Kakashi, the one that kept saying _there has to be another way to stop this other than taking out everyone who disagrees with you. A way to keep balance. _

Sasuke took a kunai and slipped out the window.

It was blood, sweat, and grass on their clothes by the time the sun began to rise, pink over the horizon, silver mist clinging to the ground. He'd pinned Naruto to the ground with a foot, smirking when he disappeared and a kunai pressed against his throat, lips on his ear. Naruto had gotten quick. Sasuke made a note of this. He'd have to get quicker.

"Gotcha."

Early morning found Sasuke pressed against Naruto, who was grinning ear to ear, because he'd won.

That afternoon Sasuke watched Minato dig in the garden with Naruto. He'd shed his shirt just like his dad, cheeks smudged with dirt, and after Naruto showed the boy a worm, Sasuke watched his head turn to the west, gazing out to the sky.

Sasuke looked. Only a hawk sailed through the summer sky.

Naruto was still waiting.

* * *

><p>AN: These chapters will be shorter. Again I was originally going to do this in one big chapter, but decided to split these last few chapters up. They will end up spanning over the course of the next 19 years after Minato's birth and will end when Minato is 19. Next chapter: Minato. *Wiggles in seat* Ahh I can't wait to get those up! Then the very last chapter is called The Wanderers. Let's see if I can complete and edit this beast of a story in the next few days. It'd be nice xD I'd like to have it wrapped up by Christmas if I have the time, and have another chapter of Born This Way up by then.

**Preview for Minato**:

Minato hesitated. He held his kunai to his chest and swallowed. This tree looked like it was making a face. The next one looked like it was reaching out for him. Minato glared at them, and reared his arm back, throwing the kunai as if it might hit them.

It landed with a dull thud in the grass. He sighed, wriggled his toes, used a cuss word he'd get sent to the corner for just for effect, and trudged over to get it.

And that was when Minato saw them. His fathers.

They were fighting on the pond, and his first thought was to say _stop it! _but he froze, and his eyes grew wide. It wasn't fighting he'd ever seen them do. Their feet made the pond's surface ripple, and it was bright under the moon. They made it look as solid as a sheet of glass, and they moved like _ninja, _but even better than the ones on the television at Enma's.


	41. Minato

_A Minato-centric chapter all in his PoV...if the title of the chapter didn't already give that away xD _

* * *

><p><em>Minato<em>

The house was quiet. So quiet, he winced when the bed creaked as he sat up. The cricket in the window wriggled its antennae, hopped a little. Minato stared at it. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a kunai.

It felt heavy in his hands. Weird. It was darker than flint and had a blade that pointed to a wicked end, its edges sharper than teeth. He gripped the wrapped handle in both hands. Imagined himself running through the grass and throwing it like a real ninja, and his little brow scrunched up in what he hoped was a terrifying sneer (Father could do the _most _terrifying sneers Minato had ever seen, and Dad would attest to that), and he brandished it, making a _whoosh _sound for effect.

Awesome.

He swallowed and traced the edge with a finger. _A real one, _Enma had said, laughing when he'd given it to Minato, who'd stared at it wide-eyed, as if it was the most precious thing anyone had ever given him. Enma was ten, but he was Minato's best friend. Even better, Enma was a ninja, a _genin _Minato remembered, and he was home for the weekend, fresh from graduation, proudly wearing his newly acquired hitai-ate that gleamed silver in the sunlight. Next week he'd be shipped off. Minato had wanted to touch the hitai-ate, but Enma wouldn't let him.

The academy seemed like one of those far-off fairy tale places to Minato then. _I guess it's okay, _said Enma, who only said that because the other kids made fun of his name (_So my mom picked my name out of a book__, she didn't know he was a shinigami! _he'd despair). Because boys went into it, and men came out of it heroes. You saw places. Graduation from the academy meant going someplace bigger, better, a place only for ninjas.

The kunai was Enma's birthday present to him.

"_Guess how I got it? That one's not mine." _His brown eyes were teasing, like he couldn't wait for Minato to ask _how._

"_How?" _Minato dutifully asked. Enma grinned.

"_It was taken off an enemy," _he said, very seriously (though he'd failed to explain that this most formidable enemy was the teacher's mangy evil cat, who'd toppled over a box of kunai in the classroom after the students' hapless attempts to catch Cuddles, though if Minato had known this, he would have still thought it was the most dangerous and amazing thing he'd ever received and wouldn't have cared much anyway), and Minato's dark eyes went wide. He held it closer.

"_It's freakin' awesome."_

Minato took a breath. The cricket was still singing, fat and black on the window, and Minato aimed the kunai, narrowing his eyes. He threw it. It bounced off the wall below the window and scratched the paint. The cricket had stopped singing, sat still, then jumped away, as if it had paused to laugh at him before leaping away after avoiding certain death. The little boy winced, diving under his covers and waiting for one of his fathers to come check up on him, but nothing happened. Minato blinked, slowly peeking out. He listened.

Sometimes he could hear them talking at night, voices low and steady, and it would lull him to sleep. One night he'd listened to them talk, and it hadn't been low, it had been angry. Minato had stepped out of his room, worried and frightened, because someone was using the _f-word _and that word never got used unless someone was pretty dang mad. He rarely saw his fathers fight. Sometimes they talked about things in too quiet voices, eyes narrowed in that angry way, and stopped talking whenever Minato tried to listen. Sometimes he watched them poke at each other and laugh, watched Father chase Dad through the yard while Minato laughed his butt off because Dad actually looked scared.

But no one had been playing around this time. He'd watched his Dad poke his Father in chest, like bullies did whenever they said _whatcha gonna do now, huh? _saying something too quietly for him to hear. Father had narrowed his eyes, Dad bent his head, and Father sighed, placing a hand on Dad's shoulder and pulling him forward. Then his eyes had wandered, and he caught Minato watching. Minato had frozen, wondering if he was in trouble. Father only jerked his head as if to say _go back to bed._

And he had, and sometimes he wondered what they'd been fighting about. He'd heard words like _They're probably dead._ and _why are you so selfish. _It had chilled him. Minato had wondered, for a couple nights straight, who was dead.

Slowly, he'd forgotten about it.

Tonight, he heard voices, more than two, and curious, he slipped from bed, kunai still in his hand. He opened his door a crack. Dad had left clones of himself tonight, and Minato crept quietly down the hall to peer around the corner. All the lights were off, except for the hanging light above the kitchen table, and a few moths were diving at the lightbulb. There were five of them, the clones, sitting at the table with a deck of cards, and one of them was sleeping on his hand, drooling on the cards, snoring. Loudly.

One of his brother clones smacked him over the head. "Wake up, lazy ass, we got kid duty tonight."

"Ow!" moaned the clone miserably, his eyes still closed. "He's asleep, ain't he?"

His fathers had obviously gone somewhere tonight. Sometimes his fathers left the bossy little red toad to babysit, and those nights were always full of rules, rules, rules and _Minato go to bed_! He smiled, the clones were more lenient, and he stifled a giggle when one waggled his fingers and tried to sneak a ramen cup from the pile of loot. The prize, the name of the game! Ramen! He got his hand smacked and he yowled.

Suddenly, one of the clones (he didn't even look over his shoulder! Did they have eyes on the backs of their heads?), shouted, "Go to bed, Minato!" The clones all craned their necks and laughed, ("aw, poor kid just wants to play.") Minato's heart kicked into gear (hadn't be been quiet?!) and he sulked back to his bedroom. after throwing them a scowl. Unfortunately, they thought this was cute.

"Leave it to Minato to make a scowl look damnably adorable! If I did that I'd just look constipated."

"Oi, he ain't the only one with the cute scowl if these memories serve right," said one with a suggestive grin that was lost on Minato at that age.

"Oh look, a chibi Sasuke, ehehehe!"

And Minato had wrinkled his nose in confusion. He huffed, closing his door and crawling back into bed. The cricket in his window sang louder and Minato couldn't sleep. He held his kunai and thought of throwing it again. He eyed the window for a good five minutes before slipping out of bed and wrenching it open with a grunt, pushing his toy box over so he had something to step on. He felt like a ninja as he toppled out of the window and into the grass.

He bit his lip to keep from laughing. The clones were getting louder ("CHEAT!" one of them was hollering while the others laughed and argued). Outside it was darker than he'd thought, and he paused, knees pressed into grass still wet with rain. The moon was full, the stars were bright, and he held his breath. A raccoon chattered nearby, lumbering through the yard and pausing to stare at him with luminescent eyes that winked yellow-green in the dark. Minato just sat there, wondering what it would do. He gripped his kunai and gave it his best glare. The raccoon shot off with a hiss, and Minato snickered, standing and running with a little hopskip, off to the pond near the trees.

But at night, the trees were nearly black, and Minato hesitated. He held his kunai to his chest and swallowed. This tree looked like it was making a face. The next one looked like it was reaching out for him with bony hands. Minato glared at them, and reared his arm back, throwing the kunai as if it might hit them.

It landed with a dull thud in the grass. He sighed, wriggled his toes, used a cuss word he'd get sent to the corner for just for effect, and trudged over to get it.

And that was when Minato saw them. His fathers.

They were fighting on the pond, and his first thought was to say _stop it! _but he froze, and his eyes grew wide. It wasn't fighting he'd ever seen them do. Their feet made the pond's surface ripple, and it was bright under the moon. They made it look as solid as a sheet of glass, and they moved like _ninja, _but even better than the ones on the television at Enma's.

They flipped and kicked and fought with kunais and swords, ducked and bent in ways that almost made it look graceful. They gathered wind in their hands and fire in their mouths-

"Whatcha doin'?"

Minato squealed as a hand settled on his shoulder and a familiar raspy voice whispered in his ear. The clone clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Shhhh! Geez, kid, you just wanna get me popped, don't ya? Did it _seem _like the perfect night to you for sneaking out? There are wolves out here you know! Oh man, if boss finds out...!" it said worriedly, casting a sneaky glance to the pond. Minato looked too, but his fathers were gone.

The clone whimpered. "I'll never babysit again and that cheat back there is gonna get all my ramen!" it cried morosely. There was a shift in the wind, and the clone stiffened. It groaned, slapping a hand to its forehead in a typical Dad manner. "_Shit!" _Then he was gone in a puff of smoke, just like he'd said, and Minato turned to look up at his fathers. Dad looked amused (until he saw the kunai "Where the-?!"he sputtered), but Father had his arms crossed. There was a katana strapped across his back. Minato gulped and tried not to stare.

"Where'd you get that?" Dad finally asked, crouching down to point at the kunai.

Minato shuffled his feet, holding it tight. "Enma gave it to me today."

There was a pause. A sigh.

"You'll cut yourself," Dad chided, reaching to take it.

"No! It's mine!" Minato looked at them angrily, shying away, still clutching the kunai. It wasn't fair, he decided. It wasn't fair that they were ninja, but they wouldn't let _him_ do anything.

"You're not being fair!" he shouted, and Dad looked confused, then furrowed his eyebrows like he did whenever he'd say _"Now, Minato..."._ Father said nothing.

"You're not big enough for something like that-"

Minato stamped his foot. "I'm big enough for anything! I'm _five_, I'm big enough to go to school if I want! You can't make me stay at home all day!"

"Pssh, don't lie! You don't stay home all day!"

Minato decided to ignore that, because he _had _lied a little. "I wanna be a ninja too! How come Enma can go to school and I _can't?!"_

Silence. But then Father decided to speak.

"Alright. Minato, come here," he said, and started walking back to the pond. Dad's eyes widened. Minato didn't move.

"No, he's not-"

"Come, Minato."

"Don't," said Dad, more forcefully now, in that low voice. He looked mad. Really mad. The type of mad that usually made Minato shrink away and hurry to his room. Minato still didn't move. He watched, and a part of him felt frightened, another part of him was excited.

"He's not ready for that."

"If he's big enough to hold the kunai, he's big enough to throw it." Father looked back, but only at Minato, who took a hesitant step back. "Bring the kunai," Father repeated.

"Sas-" Dad stopped and ran an aggravated hand over his face. "Akira. No."

Father gave him a sharp look. "He's got to learn some day. You can't always _protect _him."

Dad looked away. Minato looked up at him, and saw a part of his Dad he'd never seen before. He saw someone angry. Someone sad. Dad glared at Father. Covered Minato's ears and said something muffled, then he was gone, so quickly Minato blinked, wondering what had happened. A wind broke the trees with a sigh, but Dad was gone.

Father turned around. "Bring the kunai, Minato."

Later that night Minato went home bruised, tired, and feeling like something special was happening. The house was dark, silent. The moths were still striking themselves against the hanging light over the kitchen table, and Dad had to be awake, because Minato couldn't hear him snoring, yet he was nowhere to be seen as Father gently hefted Minato up on the counter by the sink and washed away the blood on his knee, under his chin.

There was a feeling he couldn't explain as his father cleaned him up, something big that made him smile because it felt like it was trying to claw its way out of his chest.

He wanted to feel like that again.

He stayed awake after Father tucked him in, listened to the sound of his parents' bedroom door creak open. He waited a minute, then they started to talk. Lowly at first, then louder.

"...d_idn't have to make me look like that in front of him. You _know_ what happens nowadays if you're found and not registered__. If they're seen in action...yet you'd wanna put him in that position-"_

_"He's got to learn. He won't understand why he can't go."_

_"We're better off letting him be. Just for now, until something gives and it gets better. It's not always going to be like this. Give it a chance for it to change. It's safer for him that way. And we still don't know what's going to happen. After a while, I needed a fucking babysitter in order to train, and they say he's supposed to be able to control it, but we don't fucking know that. You remember what happened after he was born? You couldn't see straight for three freakin' days, your eye would bleed all night, hell, I probably had to wipe your miserable ass. You _don't _have both eyes_-"

"_You're being a fucking coward-"_

_"I'm just saying wait until he's a little older and has a better chance of controlling and understanding it-"_

_"You can't just sit here and pretend-"_

_"He's five. _Five_ fucking years old. I know it's going to happen one day, you know we wake up every morning wondering when we'll see it, and the last thing he needs is to lose control in a moment where he doesn't know what the fuck is going on. I think I'd know what that feels like. I know the Kyuubi. He needs to_ ease _into it first. Make a wrong move and everything will go to hell, and next time, you'll probably lose that eye if we don't do this right._"

There was a pause. Minato couldn't keep his eyes from closing.

_"You know I'm right__._"

_"Sasuke-let me just-! Fuckin' A. And what happens if someone_ sees? _He's a little kid, you think he's gonna understand right off the bat why it's all gotta be a secret? __You heard about what happened to that kid over in Ohisama? Immediately labeled a rogue. Strung up. Strung_ fucking _up like a goddamn deer.__ He was twelve. We can wait until he's older. What's going on right now is our fight, not his." _And Minato had wondered, as his eyelids fluttered closed and sleep threatened to overtake him, who Sasuke was.

_"Dammit, you can't _always _protect him. You'll inhibit him! He's an Uchiha, an Uzumaki. There's so much he can achieve and you don't want to face it because you're letting your own shit get to you._ Stop. Listening. To. It. _Do you want him to be faced with something one day and not know what to do about it because we're not there?_ No one _is coming. No one is _**ever** _coming._"

Something clattered to the ground. Broke. Someone cursed. Minato thought he heard his name.

Silence.

Minato didn't hear anymore talking after that. At some point he thought he heard footsteps, felt a warm hand on his forehead. He dreamed of foxes running through wheat and Enma throwing kunais at raccoons. He dreamed of his fourth birthday when Father had tried making a cake. Minato remembered that day. Dad was sitting on the counter while Father frowned at Natsumi's recipe, and Dad swung Minato on his arm like a little monkey, laughing at everything and nothing at all. They'd ended up going to the Kobayashi's for dinner because the cake burned and nearly set the house on fire...but they were laughing, and Dad had one of Minato's hands, and Father had the other. They smiled. When they thought Minato had turned his back, he'd seen them grow close.

The next morning he tiptoed to the kitchen, wary, but found Father sitting on the porch in the back, his arm wrapped around Dad, quiet, watching the sunrise, saying something in his ear that made Dad say _pssh, _but he laughed anyway, and it was like Minato hadn't heard them arguing last night. It was one of the moments that usually made Minato pull a face and scamper away, but this time, he watched. Rubbed his eyes and cautiously stepped on the porch to wedge himself between them. Father pointed out an eagle.

The next summer, after Minato's sixth birthday, the fat cricket came back to his window to sing. Minato sat up in bed and stared at it, smiling. He took the kunai out from under his pillow.

He threw it.

His bedroom was silent, and the kunai had embedded itself in the window sill. Minato's smile grew wider.

He hadn't missed. He'd brag to Enma about it in the morning. By he time he'd turned seven, he was throwing shuriken for target practice with Enma out in the wood whenever Dad and Father let him have a break, whenever his friend got leave to come home. Being a child, and a genin at that, Enma had a lot of leave.

After a while, Enma got huffy. Minato's aim was better than this, though Minato missed intentionally once or twice.

"You should be a ninja," said Enma one afternoon, looking like he couldn't decide whether to be awed or jealous, and Minato only smiled.

* * *

><p>Minato was ten years old when he killed Tsuki.<p>

Tsuki was Natsumi's greyhound, a vicious little bitch. It had bitten Minato when he was eight for crawling under the porch to look at her puppies, and he still hadn't forgiven it.

_Damn dog, _Father had seethed.

It was evening, and the fading light was drawing shadows on the forest floor. A squirrel chattered, darting up a tree, blinking large black eyes at the boy with the wild black hair stomping through the leaves, humming a song and kicking up dead leaves. Anybody who knew Minato, and knew him well, knew that he always took a walk after training with his fathers. Today it had been meditating with Dad, and Minato hated those days, because they were _boring _and nothing _interesting _ever happened._  
><em>

_Look, _Dad would say simply, _this is important. Once you start to get the point of all this, I'll tell you what we're doing. _It was a challenge. Minato loved challenges, because there were few he couldn't win. He was competitive. The kind of competitive where if it seemed he was going to lose, there was nothing left to do but cheat or blow through it with brute force and hope it'd stun the competition.

Brute force that, for a ten year old, wasn't as much as Minato would have liked.

So naturally, it had enraged him when he couldn't figure it out, and couldn't seem to pick the right answer as to _what_ they were doing. Dad would close his eyes, and Minato would scrunch up his brow and do the same. He only ever saw the back of his eyelids. Every damn time. Didn't know _what _he was supposed to be looking for. Sometimes he'd feel his own chakra, running like the blood through his veins. Sometimes he'd hear his heartbeat. Every time he'd crack open an eye and watch Dad, wondering if he was asleep. Two times out of five, he usually was.

Although, no one but Enma, who at fifteen had been promoted to chuunin (for someone so young, he had an effective, admirable water style that was responsible for his young start as genin) knew that Minato trained. It was a gloomy evening. Enma was away on a mission in Grass Country, and Minato hadn't seen him in a month. Wandering the forest at night grew boring when there was no one to sneak out with, or sneak up _on, _or to teach you jutsus when your fathers were sparring, to argue with over whose jutsu was better: Minato's _katon _(which was he was very proud of, and he'd wished the little burn marks he'd earned around his mouth had actually stuck around to show Enma, but they'd been gone by the next day) or Enma's tsunami.

What Minato _really_ wanted to learn was Dad's rasengan. And he imagined speeding over treetops while wisps of wind gathered in his palm. But his imagination only took him so far, and he was bored again. He threw a rock at a curious squirrel. A kunai when he missed.

There was no one to complain to, so Minato sighed and threw shuriken stars at the same tree he always threw them at, and by now it had a butchered trunk, and too many scars to count. He was rearing back before a throw, when he heard a snarl in the leaves.

_Wolves, _he thought, and a twig behind him snapped. The growl grew louder. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He whirled around and tossed the star, heart hammering. Something yelped and fell heavily to the ground.

Minato paused.

It wasn't a wolf. Just grumpy old Tsuki, and the star was embedded in her eye. He didn't move. He hadn't liked Tsuki, it was true, but he hadn't wanted to _kill _her. His throat tightened. Slowly, he walked up to the greyhound, as if the dog might suddenly shiver back to life. But it didn't, and sudden tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He bent over to look at it, in its unharmed glassy eye.

_Minato, _someone whispered, and the greyhound's eye burned like fire, its mouth curling into a grin. Minato cried out, scrambling away, nearly tripping over his own feet. He had that feeling again, like when he was five and sitting on the counter, prouder than ever, like something was trying to break free. But this time, Minato didn't want it to. His throat burned. His heart raced.

_Minato._

He ran faster, through the brush, leaping up into the trees. Something sliced against his cheek, and it wasn't tears slipping down to his chin. His heart seemed to be clawing at his chest, and suddenly he fell. Minato never fell. He stared at the chip of sky through a break in the trees dumbly as the vertigo hit, and the the ground knocked the air out of his lungs. He rolled over onto his stomach with a groan and wince.

"Minato!"

He gasped, looking up, but it was only a toad. A red one who'd been assisting the family since Minato was born. Kosuke. The toad stared at him with wide, gold eyes. Its throat puffed out before deflating.

"What?" Minato wondered, scrambling upright. "What?" and his hands went to his face, smudging the blood on his cheek. Panic was setting in, black and raw and like a block of lead on his shoulders, until it started to slide down and constrict him like a snake. He didn't know why. Didn't know why he was so scared, but he only thought of Tsuki's eye, swirling orange and bright like fire. _Minato! _it seemed to cackle His hands shook, and he looked at the blood on his fingers.

"Nothing," said Kosuke flatly, a webbed hand tapping the goggles around his neck. "Nothing at all. I thought I saw-"

"Minato?" and Minato almost sagged in relief, and he wondered why he'd been so scared. Dad was bounding through the trees, dropping from a branch before him. He wore a broad grin, but it slipped when he looked at Minato. He frowned.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He bent down, blue eyes hard and searching.

Minato swallowed. "I tripped," he lied, pointing to his cheek. Kosuke said nothing, and Dad didn't look convinced.

"If you got something to say, son, you say it. Don't ever feel like you got to hide anything from me. alright?"

Minato looked away and felt his face heat up. He didn't say anything, and finally Dad sighed, taking him by the wrist. When Father saw him, Minato said nothing, only snuck away to his room to sleep.

That night Minato fell asleep listening to his fathers talk. He dreamed of foxes in the wheat. He never did tell anyone about Tsuki.

* * *

><p>He was thirteen when Dad got sick.<p>

He and Enma were in the field. In the morning light, they swayed with the wheat, doing a kata. Enma's six year-old twin siblings, Ai and Takeo, watched wide-eyed on the blanket their mother had set them on as she hung laundry.

Minato noticed a pause in Enma's movements. He sighed.

"You're off, just by a little," chided Minato, and Enma scoffed.

"Hey, _who's _the ninja here, kid?" He mumbled something like _perfectionist. _Suddenly he turned, aiming a kick, and Minato calmly blocked it. He grinned. Enma whirled, kicked again, and Minato blocked it with his forearm. Enma smiled, just a little. He made to kick again, swiveling his foot around to grab Minato's attention before suddenly stopping and rearing back for a punch.

Minato jerked his head to the side with just enough time to breathe and say, "Almost."

He ducked and blocked another punch, jumped and whirled to plant a kick, aiming for the side of Enma's face, who redirected his foot with a hand and sent him spinning in the air. The twins cheered ("Go, Minato, go!" Ai cried, flushed).

"You're faster than the last time I saw you," Enma said, and he smiled, really smiled.

"You've been gone too long," Minato agreed. Suddenly he was a blur, and it amused him to see Enma try to keep up with his movements, brown eyes swiveling so fast it probably hurt. Minato finally landed a kick to Enma's chest and sent the chuunin sprawling. Minato laughed, but suddenly water whips jutted out of the ground, and he narrowly avoided being grabbed by the ankle and slammed into the dirt like a ragdoll.

Enma's _Tako _or "octopus".

Minato formed seals, and suddenly four more of him popped into existence. "Spicing it up, huh?" said Minato, though Enma probably couldn't tell which. The water lashed out with increasing speed, but the clones were only interested in the jutsu user, weaving in and out. One popped with a curse after being hurled. It was just about to get good, _really _good, when Minato formed the seals for a _katon _to take out the octopus, but that's when Natsumi intervened.

"OI, YOU BOYS BETTER STOP THAT ROUGH HOUSING BEFORE I-"

The octopus turned into a harmless splash and Minato nearly choked on his own jutsu (ow, the burn!), Enma smacking his back with each cough and sputter, not making it any better.

"Sorry, Ma! Sorry, we were just-"

"Just-ack!-weren't going to-oomph!" He nearly choked again.

Natsumi sent them a glare cold enough to snap their spines straight and Minato held his next cough in until his eyes watered.

Someone started laughing. "Oi, Enma, don't smack my kid into the ground too hard, eh? I miss his chibi days, but I kinda like 'im the way he is!" Dad and Father came into view, walking up the path to the farmhouse, and Father was smirking.

"Nice jutsu you got there, kid," said Father as they crossed the lawn. Minato straightened, prideful, and wondered if they had seen him.

"Yeah, comin' along nice." Dad patted Enma on the back with a wink. "So eighteen now, huh?" Enma opened his mouth, but his mother beat him to it.

"Eighteen," sniffed Natsumi, shaking out a sheet with a _snap! _"And _not _going out tonight because of it!" She looked pointedly at Dad, who looked chastened. Father hid a laugh behind a cough, and Dad hooked an arm around Enma's neck when Natsumi turned, jabbing a thumb up the road.

"Nice little joint up the-"

"DAISUUUUKKKEEEEE!"

"Well what are ya waiting for Minato, hurry up!" Dad cried, sprinting away to avoid Natsumi's vicious sheet-slap attack ("Not the ass, not the ass! Iiieeeeyyyyee!") Father was full out laughing by then, waving to the Kobayashi's and trailing behind and saying "_That __usuratonkachi."_

They walked home in companionable silence. When they got home, Minato would hear his fathers bet each other, like they always did, he'd watch them spar, like he always would. He'd catch them trying to steal a kiss during it, like always ("Hey, I'm _still _here!"). They'd eat dinner like normal, he'd spar with Father, meditate with Dad, and sleep. He'd sneak out and catch Enma training in the woods.

It was normal. It all was. Dad, Father, Enma...and maybe Minato had taken it all for granted somewhere along the way, because it was that particular summer that Minato would come to think of years and years later when he was grown and wondering where it had all began. It was that summer when his life had started to change.

It was a year of firsts after that summer. The first time he broke a bone (his arm). The first time he kissed a girl (Kotori, who was sixteen and visiting the mountainside with her merchant father to sell to the farmers in the summer. She had this voice that made Minato forget things. Enma had laughed until he cried when Minato had, in horrifying detail, described his terror when her tongue had pushed into his mouth). The first time he got the hang of the Shadow Clone jutsu (and he would lazily order them around when it was time to clean his room while they grumbled venomous things and tried to conspire against him, for cleaning Minato's room was a terrible fate indeed).

The first time Minato used the Sharingan.

He first noticed the change a morning Father had gone to market that fall, out to town at the mountain's base to purchase something for the garden...Minato couldn't remember. What he did remember was Dad.

Dad wasn't in the kitchen. He wasn't in the backyard doing a kata and calling for Minato to join. He wasn't on the porch. The sun had fully risen, and Minato was alone at the kitchen table, munching thoughtfully on his cereal, and was about to summon a shadow clone to go explore the forest with him and spy on Kotori (mainly spy on Kotori) when he suddenly heard it. A _thump. _Like someone had punched a wall. Then a curse.

Curious, Minato summoned a clone, who stood to attention dutifully. Together, they crept along the hallway ("Stop breathing so loud, he could probably hear you coming a mile away!" Minato complained, while his clone puffed up and spat back, "Shut up, shit for brains, if we had been in real cover, you'd have just blown it!")

They glared daggers at each other before Minato realized he was essentially arguing with himself and shrugged (his clone stuck a tongue out at him. Obviously it still remembered having to pick up Minato's underwear). They'd almost reached the door, when it flew open, and without sparing them a second glance, Dad hurried into the bathroom.

The door locked with a _click._

Minato turned away with a cringe when he heard the gags.

"Dad's never sick," he said with a frown. The clone blinked.

"Everyone gets sick though...right?" it asked, worried. Minato shrugged again, and they trudged outside, where they proceeded to dig out Minato's sling shot from under the porch and take shots at sparrows.

The score was 5-3 when Dad wandered outside to watch before disappearing again. He was quiet. He got worse as the day wore on, and Minato would glare at the bathroom doorknob, as if it might tell him something. Sometimes Dad would open the door a crack, tell Minato there was something to eat in the fridge, or if he wanted, to walk over to the Kobayashi's.

He'd realized, unbelievably, one of the bathroom breaks wasn't to be sick. He'd backed away, truly frightened, when he'd realized Dad was having a panic attack behind the door. He could hear the sharp intakes of breaths, the gasps, over and over and over. He didn't know what to do. He dispelled the clone.

Minato went to sit at the kitchen table, pulled his knees up to his chest. And he was still sitting at that table when Father returned. He took one look at Minato, slumped and looking dejected at the kitchen table and hurried down the hall. Checked the bedroom, ("Bathroom," Minato called). He watched Father jiggle the knob, persuade Dad to open the door. He slipped inside.

An entire ten minutes later (and Minato had been ready to creep over and listen) the door opened, and a strange thing happened. Dad smiled weakly, Father was silent but it was different this time. It was the type of silent when Minato couldn't tell if he was angry or pleased, and the house seemed to try and catch up with itself.

That night he pretended to sleep, and after a while he knew Dad was leaning in his doorway. He was watching Minato, like he did some nights when he thought Minato was already asleep.

"_...it's happening again." _

_"Hn."_

A pause, then Father spoke again. "_We'll get through it."_

_"It's already _moving. _Who knows how long we have left__." _Dad sounded sick again.

"_What did _it_ say?"_

Silence. And Minato could feel the chill in it. Dad didn't speak, and from the corner of his eye, Minato saw him slump against the door frame. Father put a hand on his shoulder.

"_Hey, come on. Let's go to bed. We'll get through it. We always do."_

They wandered away. As soon as the bedroom door closed and locked, Minato used the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The clone saluted, looking wary.

"Find out what's going on."

The clone nodded smartly and slipped out through the bedroom door, silently. Minato lay in bed and waited. And waited. Thirty minutes later, he knew the clone was gone. He closed his eyes, and the memories came.

_"The Kobayashis think we found Minato on the side of the road."_

Minato's heart picked up the pace. He'd always wondered, _always, _where he came from, though his fathers never spoke of it. He remembered his father saying, "You have me, your dad, and that's all you need." Who had his _mother _been? He'd never known. Now his curiosity was insatiable.

"_It'll be no different this time."_

_"And Minato, he-"_

_"Perhaps he still isn't ready. You say he still hasn't discovered the reason for meditation. He can't feel it? Maybe it's still dormant?"_

Minato inhaled sharply. Feel _what? What _was dormant? He suddenly felt uneasy, like there was something lurking inside him he didn't know about. It made his skin itch, and his legs scissor the sheets. Randomly, he remembered the vivid, black spiral tattoo that would sometimes appear on Dad's skin, on his stomach. And he'd stare, and Dad would say, "_when you're ready. Have you found it yet?"_

He'd lie and say he had, but Dad always laugh and say, "N_o, you haven't."_

For the first time in a while, he grew angry with his fathers. They knew things about him. Things he had always wondered and daydreamed about. And they were _keeping it _from him!

"_No, he'll come to understand even if we wait. He's a smart-oh, shit."_

And that was when the clone was discovered. That night Minato fell asleep with a knot in his gut. He dreamed of something whispering _Minato._

...

It happened on the seventh of February. Snow crunched under Father's footsteps, and the trees were bare, skeletons reaching for the sky and pleading for a pale sun that stayed hidden behind heavy clouds.

Father stood still, tapped his fingers absently against the bells on his belt, and Minato watched warily, fingers curling around his kunai. Father whirled, put a kunai through the head of a clone bursting out of a snow drift. It vanished in a puff of smoke. Lately his only sparring partner was Father.

Minato winced, shifting his weight slightly. How had he known it wasn't Minato?

"Again," came the harsh demand. Minato grimaced, chucked the kunai for a weak spot. Father blocked it with an easy flick of his wrist.

"What was _that_? Put some effort into it. You're getting lazy."

Minato clenched his teeth. Suddenly he charged. Father's eyes widened only a fraction. He kicked, punched, ducked, weaved, whirled, spun around until he was at Father's back, but Father was quick and blocked the kick. Minato went flying, crashing into a snow drift. Two more of him raced out of the snow, kicking and punching and wild, fingers reaching, but never touching the bells. Father began to smile. Just a little.

Up in a tree, Minato breathed fire. "_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" _The forest cackled in a roar as as the fireball raced towards Father. He leaped away...

In exactly the same spot Minato had expected him too. To the right, near the snowdrift. He'd been watching, carefully studying. Anticipating. A kunai went flying, and Father spun out of the way mid-leap. It was while he was fending off shuriken that Minato made his move, as soon as Father's feet hit the snow. He lurched out of the drift, and the pads of his fingertips grazed the bells, just enough to make them chime...

Then Father grabbed his wrist, sent them both hurtling away from the shuriken, and threw him. Dazed, Minato looked up at the sky, and realized it had begun to snow.

"Better," said Father, "but not enough-"

"I want rasengan," said Minato suddenly, shaking the snow out of his hair and rising to his full height. His father raised an eyebrow.

"I have the _kage bunshin, _I have _katon. _I want another." He'd found, much to his dismay, that he didn't have the elemental affinity to learn his father's Chidori. But Dad's rasengan, that was something Minato wanted. He'd been delighted to learn he possessed an affinity to both fire and wind.

"Hn. That's something you need to take up with your dad. Besides, you're not ready for another if you can't even take the bells off my belt."

Anger licked his insides. In a flash, he'd unsheathed the _tantō _hanging from his belt. He flew at his father, who'd drawn his katana. Sparks flew, metal sang, and Minato roared. He parried, the blades slipped away from each other, and Minato flipped back, forming seals. The clones burst into existence. This time, five of them. They charged, all shouting a war-cry that made his father's grin broader.

But he swatted them away, more in favor of the real one slashing with the _tantō. _He dispelled three of them lightning fast, and turned to kick another. But his foot met solid flesh and bone, and the real Minato skidded through the snow in a cloud. His father paused when Minato didn't immediately rise.

"Come on. Get up."

Minato didn't move.

"Get up, Minato."

Minato groaned, rolling in the snow. His father drew closer, and closer, and finally, when his son's face pinched and he clutched at his ribs with a gasp, his father dropped to his knees.

"What-"

Minato smiled and disappeared.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" _His father leaped away with _just _enough time to avoid a face full of fire, when another _katon _fireball came barreling in on his right, on his blind side. In that moment as he twisted and actually activated the Sharingan to deflect the rain of shuriken stars , a precisely timed shadow star with another shadow star hidden under it, from a clone who had been hidden in the trees since the beginning of the fight streaked through the air, sailed right for the bells. Naturally, Father deflected it, seeing through the initial illusion (the only genjutsu Minato had been able to master so far) but as soon as his wrist moved, the shadow beneath it cut the bells from their restraint. Minato leaped from his hiding spot in the snow to grab them.

He came away with one. Father held the other.

"You hid it and took advantage of my blind eye," said his father simply.

"I want rasengan now," said Minato, "And I want you to help me convince Dad that I'm ready." He jingled the bell. This little, insignificant thing he'd been working so hard to get. He prized it for a moment, before it became useless to him. He wrapped it around his finger.

His father watched him for a moment. "Ask when this isn't about greed."

Minato sucked on his teeth in a fresh wave of anger. "I'm good enough now for another technique!" He stalked across the clearing to grab his _tantō, _hidden in the snow after dropping off his clone._  
><em>

"You're pursuing power for the wrong reason," came the cold reply. "You're letting your pride guide you. A shinobi is not about power. A shinobi is about survival, endurance, and the _respect _of power."

Minato scowled. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he scoffed.

"Minato-"

He whirled around. "You want respect?" he asked, voice trembling. "Is that it? You want me to _respect _you?" A new quiet settled over the forest, and his father watched him with a curious gaze. He looked powerful, standing there in the winter light, dressed all in black, dark hair cropped close to his scalp, red eye spinning. Since August, the knot in Minato's gut had grown, twisted, intensified, until he couldn't look at Dad, or Father without feeling the anger.

"_You're gettin' pretty cocky thinking you can go around acting like that," _Dad had growled after Minato had told him to "get the dishes himself" when they were cleaning up after dinner. He'd just walked away.

"_Oi! Minato! What's going on with you? Hey!" _And Minato, for the first time since he was seven years old, slammed the door in his dad's face. Minato still dreamed of that conversation he'd overheard. He wondered where he came from, what dark truths about himself he had yet to discover. He'd listened to his dad curse and complain, and something about it felt _good _because Minato hadn't felt good in weeks.

He sneered. "Is that what you want, _Father? _Or should I even call you that? Why did I ever call you, either of you, father in the first place?"

A strangely wounded expression flickered across Akira's face. "Minato-"

"You think I didn't hear? Back in August?"

Akira stared.

"Does everyone but me think I came from the side of the road?"

Silence.

"Who is my mother?" he shouted, and his voice cracked.

Silence.

Then Minato was gone, in a flurry of rage and snow, leaving the man he called father to stand alone in the clearing, but if Minato had hesitated a second longer, he would have seen the toad, Kosuke, appear in the snow with a shrill cry of "_Sasuke!" _leaving the snow stained red in his wake.

Minato burst through the door back at the house, intent on grabbing whatever-the-hell he saw first in his room and taking to the trees without so much as a goodbye, but something stopped him. He paused in the doorway, breathing hard, the rage in his blood beginning to cool.

There was blood in the air. He could taste the copper on his tongue.

Minato didn't move. For one absurd moment, he thought of calling Dad out by name, just to spite him, but he swallowed. "Dad?"

More silence. He took a hesitant step into the house. The footfall seemed to echo. "Dad?"

Every single light was out. The late afternoon darkness was beginning to creep into the hallway, and Minato stood before it, looking down at the brass bedroom doorknob, and it was like it stood all the way at the end of a throat, waiting for Minato to step through the teeth. He swallowed.

"Dad?"

His heart began to pound. His palms began to sweat. He reached out for the doorknob and yanked the door open.

But the second he peered inside and screamed, someone grabbed him around the waist before he run forward, into the chest of the man glowing gold and red like fire, to the man with the feral, red eyes and the teeth that gleamed like bone in the dark. To the man bleeding on the floor by the foot of the bed, the man who started to howl. His dad.

And Minato had never been more scared in his life.

"_DAD!"_

Minato was slammed into the wall, hard enough that his head snapped back viciously and he bit his lip. Then his father's eye was before him, and it widened in surprise just before whispering his name, before the _tomoe _began to spin.

"_Not...like this..." _he could hear Dad raging. "_Not...like...this...!" _

And Minato knew no more. When he woke, it was to cream wallpaper and a ceiling fan missing a blade. He wasn't in his bed. He wasn't in his house. There was a plate of eggs and bacon on the nightstand by the bed. A glass of milk.

He was in the guest bedroom at the Kobayashi's.

Daisuke had had an accident, Natsumi explained when Minato finally calmed himself and wandered into the hallway, to the kitchen. His father would be by to pick him later that morning.

Minato waited.

And waited.

Morning slipped away to noon, and noon to afternoon until the sky began to darken at the edges. Minato was alone in the living room. Enma and Hiro were gone, and Natsumi kept asking him if he was alright and patting his head. Ai and Takeo kept watching him from a distance, whispering and giggling. They ran away in tears after he refused to play with them.

"I'm sure Daisuke will be alright," Natsumi kept saying, until Minato ground his teeth together. Finally, around 5 o'clock a knock came to the door, short and loud. Minato leapt from his spot on the couch, heart racing and feeling ill. Natsumi answered the door, and Akira strode inside. He spoke in whispering, halting tones, and he looked tired. His eye was red, but he _smiled. _He looked to Minato, and Minato waited for him to say something. For him to be angry at him for the day before. He politely refused a cup of tea.

"There is a lot Minato and I need to discuss," he said, "But thank you. Thank you for watching over him. We appreciate it." He turned back to the door, gesturing for Minato to follow, and Minato put one foot in front of the other, until he'd left Natsumi and the twins behind, until all he saw ahead of him was Father and the road beaten with sludge and snow.

"I know you have questions," Father said finally. Minato said nothing.

"They'll all be answered today."

He said no more, leaving Minato to worry and guess. He said nothing about Dad, and when the house came into view, Minato shot forward, running for the door. Father was behind him the instant he reached the door and wrenched it open.

A baby's cry echoed through the house and Minato paused, taken off guard. Still, the house looked empty. His father slipped past him.

"Come, Minato. We have a lot to talk about."

And when he walked into the bedroom, Minato hesitantly followed, suddenly frightened of what he would see. His eyes widened. In the bedroom was Dad, and in his lap, was a _very _angry newborn. His dad looked up at him, and it was almost apologetic, but mostly, Minato saw _relief_. Minato's throat tightened. His chest hurt. He wanted to say _I thought you were dying yesterday. _But here Dad was, pink-cheeked and looking like the weariest man in the world, but alive. The toad Kosuke was sitting on his pillow behind him, catching a quick nap.

The baby was a mystery, and Minato stared at it.

"Is...is this how I was born?" he finally asked. His fathers looked at each other. Dad sighed, beckoning him forward.

"Come 'ere," Dad said, and Minato wandered close.

That day, Minato met his sister Mikoto. That day he learned where he came from. It was also the day he discovered he'd awoken the Sharingan.

* * *

><p>AN: Next chapter is called The Summon, and there will be a time skip. It will the last chapter before the final one. I'm not sure if I can get it up in time by tomorrow, but if I can't, at least I got this up :)

Merry Christmas, all!


	42. Summon

_Summon_

Madara Uchiha had been dead for eighteen years.

The sun rose, the sun set, and the world might have already eclipsed under the great red eye of the moon Naruto sometimes dreamed of, had he not seen the rips and tears in this new reality for himself.

Sometimes he wondered which ending could have been worse.

Rogues in the wood, on the mountain, breaking into _his_ house for something to eat before running again (after nearly busting the thief's ribs in while Mikoto wailed in another room and Minato tackled him to the ground in a choke hold. Sasuke had just laughed. "_You're kidding, right_?"). An assassination attempt on the Fire Lord.

He waited. Waited for...he wasn't sure anymore.

_Wait for my summon_, Kakashi had told him. Naruto had kept him to that promise. Every day he waited, and every day he grew tense. He watched the horizon on the mountain and wondered how much longer he'd have to hide, or if maybe, he should have stepped out on his own a long time ago.

Would have been easy enough. If he wasn't a father. And that alone made him step away, look back, retrace his steps. Sasuke would put a hand on his shoulder, and Naruto would walk back to the house, as if nothing had happened. Another day would come.

It would change.

Sasuke had lost hope in a smooth resistance. "Another war," he'd said, bemused.

And in the years they had spent waiting, the demon paced in its cage, restless, in constant pain from its split soul. One night, it had snarled until Naruto woke. Other nights, it was so quiet he almost forgot it was there. He hated it most when it would speak to him as he watched his children.

Sometimes, it would carefully pick at his thoughts about Madara. About the war that he dreamed of, still coursing an angry tremor through his hands.

_Men like Uchiha die, no matter how god-like they think they've become. Only I will live to see them born, die and rot, before another rises to do it all again, _the Kyuubi had mentioned.

_Not if you die with me_, Naruto had mused.

_Ah. But I will not die, Naruto_, it had said ominously, and it wasn't until Minato was thirteen that it had, yet again, acted on its promise. He still remembered the morning he had realized it, watching his skin undulate gently with Mikoto's first movements. The first sign he'd had of her life. She'd been shy. Tricky to detect until it was obvious she was there.

It had scared the absolute _shit_ out of him, so much it made him vomit to think of the demon's manipulations.

Sometimes he would catch Minato watching him, shortly after Mikoto was born, and it was like he was _waiting _for something to happen. Something to burst free. He shadowed Naruto, always watching, always worrying. It had been a difficult few months, smoothing over the strain still left over from Minato's angry days. Mikoto's birth seemed to have scared Minato though. But if he was, he wouldn't talk about it, he'd just shrug, eyes darting every which way, which was how Naruto knew he was lying, holding something back.

_He'll talk and come around soon enough _Sasuke assured him, and Naruto would only sigh. There were days Minato was quiet, reclusive, nights Naruto heard him thrash around in bed, as if from a nightmare, and Naruto would curse the Kyuubi for it, for frightening him, for overwhelming him. It never would respond. It was quiet most days. Other nights, it would surface. Sasuke would lie close as the dark pressed in, lips so close his teeth would snap at Naruto's skin against his neck as he bit out his words when Minato began to snore, far away in his room, Mikoto's crib sharing it.

So many years later, and he never did tire. There was a comfortable routine to their relationship that would force a smile out of him even if he wasn't trying for one. A sort of push and pull. That kept them in balance, in check. Maybe it was that they'd been through hell and back, together in some cases. They'd fought together, stayed alive together, loved together. They'd fight as much as they laughed together, like two squabbling boys, but only half the time it was serious and they'd _really_ argue, sometimes pretty damn badly. When it was all said and done, they'd look each other in the eye, and Naruto had yet to have a moment where it didn't quietly blow over with those silent gazes. Slowly, old wounds began to scab over, even though they left a scar. Where Sasuke was fire, Naruto was wind. It fueled them, sometimes made everything bigger, harder to calm, but it was all one hell of a ride.

Sometimes fire never stops burning.

_I want you, _Sasuke would whisper, and Naruto would shiver, run his hands down a bare back and hum thoughtfully, brow furrowed in a pleasured grimace when their bodies began to mold together, mouths trying to keep up in lazy locks that would get faster, rise, fall, and they'd crash again , trying to rub the world away.

Sometimes the Kyuubi would laugh, deep in Naruto's thoughts, and Naruto would break from Sasuke, roll away, bemused, irritated, uneasy. Sasuke would sigh. There was a light in his eye. Something hungry when he heard of what the Kyuubi would resort to in order to be free.

_How many times, _he'd wondered once, _how many times will it try to split itself before it gives up? _

It wasn't something Naruto wanted to know or find out. _You're fucking delusional if you're thinking what I think you're thinking. _There were nights the Kyuubi whispered to him, and he dreamed of little demons stretching his skin, the demon glow eating away at the children he already loved, and he'd wake drenched in a cold sweat, would need to pad softly to the kids' rooms and peek in on them. He and Sasuke had fought that night. Sasuke's vision had worsened over the years since Mikoto's birth, a constant blur to the right of his eye...

"Hey! A bird!"

Naruto looked up.

Mikoto was standing in the yard, watching a jay flit from branch to branch in the cherry tree Sasuke had planted. She was nearly as tall as it, its skinny, budding branches spotted in green and seeming to sprout from her head like a forest crown. Her dark head bent back until she bore her throat to the clouds, and the jay kept screeching at her.

It was frightened.

Mikoto blinked. Then she laughed, spun around and jabbed a finger at it.

"Look, Daddy," she cried. She smiled so widely Naruto could count the gaps in her teeth. The two teeth in the front had fallen out yesterday, and last month, it had been a molar. When it had happened, she'd been so mortified she'd wailed about being toothless and ugly like the old hag no one ever knew the name of, the one who sold pails of eels down in town (while Naruto continued to blabber about why the gap in her front teeth was cute) until Sasuke could convince her otherwise. (_If you don't stop making that face and crying like that, you'll _really_ start to look like that old hag_).

She looked like Sasuke, Naruto thought, ridiculously so, and sometimes he struggled to pick out himself in her face. From the point of her chin that made her look severe when she wanted to, to the thin lips and straight nose and dark almond eyes. Darker than Minato's, which had dulled to a deep storm gray by that age. Hers were black, like Sasuke's, always watching.

Sasuke said he saw Naruto in her temper tantrums, and her long, big feet, and in the way she smiled, just slightly crooked. _Your mouth, not mine, _he'd said. Naruto bit back a soft laugh at the thought. She was a wiry little girl, thin and nimble and spry, slippery as an eel, but extremely hard to shake off when she was in one of her cuddly moods. Minato often complained he had a barnacle stuck to his side, and would stomp into the kitchen, Mikoto clinging to him, to prove it.

Naruto offered her a smile, and Mikoto turned back to the tree, black hair fanning out behind her. She had her hands on her hips, feet set wide like a fighting stance, white summer dress one size too large. She had a doll tucked away under her arm, and she proceeded to wave Miki at the jay. Naruto laughed.

"You'll scare it away," he called. Mikoto only giggled.

Naruto leaned against the porch, and for a moment, he merely listened, watched. The afternoon sun had browned his skin after starting his morning with a spar and tending the yard. Mikoto had skipped after him, trying to land in his footsteps all morning. A sheen of sweat was all that he had to show for the heat, which, along the steady roar of cicadas, was beginning to make his eyes droop. He dumped his bottle of water over his head, shaking out his hair like a dog, making Mikoto squeal with laughter.

He watched an eagle circle overhead, enjoying the peace with his daughter and the glow. Sasuke had wandered into the house. Minato had ran off, as he often did these days, disappearing into the mountain like a thief. He'd become broody lately, (again with these damn kids and their Sasuke-ness. Where was the _Naruto-_ness? Though Sasuke would vehemently deny the absence of _Naruto_-ness if asked and turn around to laugh) and sometimes Naruto would wander over, sit on his bed while Minato lounged in his open window, seated on the sill, one leg already swung over. He and Sasuke took turns, but when Sasuke spoke to him like that, it was usually during a spar...and half the time it ended in an argument (read: Sasuke interrogating him) and both storming into the house. Naruto usually just took his chances and made a move.

_Somethin' on your mind? _he'd asked one afternoon. Minato had shrugged, which seemed to say 'yeah' for him. Naruto waited.

_Dad, _Minato began, slowly, _you think you'll ever leave the mountain? _

Naruto had furrowed his brow and wondered if it was finally happening, the restlessness, the need to move on and out, a need Sasuke wasn't keen on indulging just yet. But this was a boy who'd been taught at home. He'd learned to read, write, do math, all at home or in the garden. He hadn't gone to school. Hadn't been able to mull over whether or not he wanted to try to go to the Academy.

_Eventually, _Naruto had muttered, and Minato hadn't said anything back.

Maybe it was because Enma had been gone for over a year. Minato's one real friend. Minato could use a little help in making new friends, if the gang of boys from town who had constantly tried to gang up on him for supposedly stealing the ring leader's girlfriend was anything to go by (though they hadn't tried since coming face to face with Naruto and Sasuke once Minato's back was turned, although he probably hadn't needed their help anyway as they'd discovered, if the black eyes and deflated pride wasn't enough to go by). If someone pushed, Minato _always _pushed back eventually. If someone cheated him, he cheated them back.

It had been difficult to explain to a young Minato, who couldn't understand why he couldn't send Father to the corner when Father sent him there all the time. It was simply no fair! And Sasuke had glared when Naruto hid laugh behind a cough before attempting a serious answer.

_Doesn't always work that way, kid, _he'd explained, and Minato had only looked confused. Now he was nearing his eighteenth birthday, and he'd grown bolder. He was a good kid, Naruto knew and Sasuke couldn't deny, but he had a defiant streak which had slowly started to rear its ugly head after Minato turned thirteen (which Sasuke seemed to blame on Naruto. _You're always spoiling him, letting him get away with shit_).

Naruto grimaced. There was nothing more irritating than having to kick your kid's door in because they weren't answering the raps and pounds on their bedroom door to come eat breakfast already, only to find his clone (and really, with how smart Minato seemed to be, Naruto was sure he would have figured out by now it was only his clone that nearly wet its pants at Naruto's threats, which was very un-Minato-like) cowering under the covers from your glare ("No, you'll never get me to talk! Never!") and discover they had already gone, right under your nose, what was probably hours ago.

Sasuke grew increasingly frustrated.

"Thinks he can do whatever the fuck he wants," he groused one (too early) morning. Naruto had groaned, rolled away from him (after rolling towards him to wrap a lazy arm over his chest), and stuck his head under a pillow.

"It's too early for this."

When Sasuke had shot something back, Naruto had tried shoving his pillow on Sasuke's head to exorcise his lover of his foul mood with a cry of _be gone, evil morning spirit, be gone!_, which…

Well.

That had turned into an interesting morning, after Sasuke had stopped bitching and trying to suffocate Naruto with his own pillow. He rubbed at his neck, a finger gliding over a faded hickey near his collar bone, and grinned.

"Heh…"

Something began to scream, and Naruto jerked his head upright, the sound chilling and running down his spine. Instinctively, he took a step forward.

"Mikoto?"

Mikoto was standing still in the yard. She'd dropped Miki, her arms held out in front of her. Naruto shaded his eyes with a hand, gazing out.

She was squeezing the jay in her hands. The sight kept him rooted to the ground for a long moment. She stared at it impassively. The bird screamed again, tried to peck at her fingers. Naruto cursed, jogging over and calling out to her.

"Mikoto! Heyheyhey, no-!"

She let it go suddenly, smiling when it blinked a beady eye at her, pausing to jump onto her shoulder before flapping away with a song.

Naruto stared, a growing unease gnawing at his gut.

_I will not die_, the demon had whispered.

"Mikoto?" Sasuke had poked his head out the kitchen window, squinting into the yard. Naruto waved over at him, pushing the thought away and walking over to pick up the little girl and plant her on his shoulders.

"Daiiiisuuukkkeee!"

Naruto turned, and he smiled. Mikoto giggled and wiggled free of him, dropping to the grass. Natsumi Kobayashi was walking up the road, flanked by Ai and Takeo. Sasuke leaped out of the window, scooping Mikoto up as she ran.

As it turned out, Enma had finally returned.

"If you're wondering where your Minato went off to," the old woman babbled, pushing a gray strand out of hair out of her face, "They're off near the clearing fighting, as usual." She gave a playful roll of her eyes, but she was proud.

"Boys," said Ai petulantly, scrunching up her nose. In reality, she was nursing a crush on Minato, and was jealous of all the time her older brother spent with him and how little Minato noticed her when Enma was around. Takeo rolled his eyes. He'd broken an arm, and so there was so sparring for him. He seemed to be taking it hard, because he pinched Ai, who screeched.

Mikoto mimicked Ai. "Boys!" she spat, agreeing. Naruto blinked.

"But I'm a boy," he said. "Father's a boy."

Sasuke grinned. Mikoto considered this, a finger tapping her chin in a very ridiculously-Sasuke-like manner. She opened her mouth to say something, but all Naruto heard was the _boom_, rattling the ground beneath his feet. The windows in the house shuddered. The Kobayashis jumped, startled.

His stomach dropped, head snapping to the east. A plume of smoke was already rising from the trees, by the clearing.

_Minato_. He could feel the blood drain from his face.

"Dammit. Akira-!"

But Sasuke was already gone, and Mikoto was clinging to Naruto's leg like a cat stuck to a couch by its claws, lip trembling and eyes wet. She screamed when he disentangled himself and handed her off to Natsumi, who'd gone white.

"What's happening? Where did Father go? I want Father! Wait, Daddy, wait, don't leave me!" She twisted in Natsumi's hold, and Naruto tried not to look back as he ran, gone with a blink of an eye.

* * *

><p>Enma was back.<p>

And he was different. Every time he came back Minato always thought Enma was a little different, a small piece of someone new carved into him from travels, from missions, from blood that wasn't his. But one thing that never changed was the way his old friend grinned, clasped his hand, and fought with him like Minato wasn't any different. It had been nearly sixteen months, if Minato counted. Sixteen months with no regular sparring partner who wasn't Dad or Father or Mikoto leaping up and kicking away at his hand, palm up, very much like Enma would sit and do when Minato was young. Sixteen months of no wandering out of bed to find him by the pond, whittling at a block of wood like Hiro had shown him how to do. He'd carved a bird for Minato once, a small wooden pendant, back when he was seven. He'd tried showing Minato once, but Minato eventually gave up, irritated by his ugly lumps that could never compete with Enma's. Even with the Sharingan activated (he shamelessly did, ignoring how Enma laughed at him), he never could cut it the same way, get the wood to turn into something that looked beautiful, like Enma could.

Sometimes Minato would find him at the pond and they said nothing at all to each other. Just threw rocks at the water and watched the ripples, and something would be bothering Enma, something he never talked about. Other times, Minato would tell him he was afraid.

_Sometimes I think I'll never leave here, _he'd confided the last time he'd seen Enma, right before he'd left for Water Country, and Minato had stared at the reflection of the moon on the water. He didn't tell Enma about the voice in the back of his head, whispering his name. He hadn't told his fathers either, who seemed to be expecting something, waiting for something. They'd explained it to him once, five years ago when Mikoto was born. About the demon hidden away inside Dad, which was responsible for their births.

Sometimes Minato wondered if he was slowly going insane, and it made him fidget, made him agitated, made the need to _do __something _nearly insatiable. When he felt like that, it was Enma who seemed to make it go away when his fathers couldn't. Enma knew whether to knock his shoulder against Minato's and challenge him until he fought it out, or to just wait for him to speak or go trail after him through the forest. Sometimes they'd pull pranks. Skirt around town and run around the back roads winding behind the houses. They'd filled a trash can squatting in the alley and stinking like fish halfway with water and leaned it up against Ayato's (the brute who kept thinking he could land a punch on Minato for sleeping with Ruriko) bedroom door, which conveniently opened up to the back yard. They'd accidentally trampled through the flowers, but it was worth it to knock and flit away, watching from across the road as a light flickered on, and Ayato stumbled over to open the door, yowling when a gush of trash, fish heads, and water sped past him, drenching him and his room. Minato and Enma had laughed until their sides nearly split when Ayato's mother got up and started hitting him over the head with a towel for the mess.

Enma had said all those nights ago, _You'll be eighteen next year. _He'd grinned, picking at a hangnail with his little carving knife. _I'm gonna smuggle you out! _Then he'd hooked an arm around his younger friend's neck, ignoring Minato's squawks as he bore a knuckle down in his wild black hair. _I'll show you the joys of manhood and my little Minato will be all grown up! _he pretended to wail.

_Not a virgin anymore, _Minato had drawled, disentangling himself.

Enma had gaped. _AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME? IT WAS KOTORI WASN'T IT? That sneaky little vixen! _Even if Enma never said it, he'd always been enraptured with the younger girl, jealous when Minato had her attention.

Minato had laughed. It had actually been Ruriko, the shy girl with the boy cut, the butcher's daughter, before she'd moved to some village he couldn't remember the name of, but he kept the memory close and didn't say anything. It had been awkward and sweet and had gone so stupidly fast it was over before he could fully grasp it had ended anyway.

This time, Enma didn't say a word when he saw Minato. He'd been walking up the beaten trail, the deer path no one but he and Minato seemed to use, and Minato could hear the footsteps as he lazed around up in a tree, practicing a genjutsu Father had shown him on some poor squirrel, who kept running into trees as a result. He'd dropped, excited, and Enma had laughed. But he didn't say anything, and neither did Minato. Enma only dropped his pack. He looked older this time, more like a man than a boy, all gristle and grit and a haggard face that had grown stubble somewhere along the way. He met Enma halfway, grazed knuckles, and leaped away when Enma threw a greeting punch.

"Hope you didn't slack off while I was gone," he said, and Minato laughed. After, when they had sprawled out on the grass in the nearby clearing, looking at nothing, chests heaving, Enma was quiet.

Very quiet.

Minato sat up suddenly, and he tensed. Beside him, Enma didn't move. There was someone in the trees, Minato realized. Watching. He could feel the eyes on the back of his head. He quickly grabbed a kunai, not bothering to turn around to look, he already knew it was someone he didn't want watching, and he could feel a sense of dread. He could almost _feel _this person's chakra bin the area, like his fathers had been showing him how to do. But without a specialized ability for it, it was hard to zone in on, something that took practice and a lot of sensory talent. Enma gripped his wrist, stopping him from going to investigate.

"I need to tell you something," he said, looking over, and Minato raised a brow. A woman stepped out of the leaves. Enma smiled tiredly and waved her over. She looked around for several long seconds before darting over, and suddenly Minato knew what this new different about Enma was, as soon as the woman sat down in the grass, sizing him up with glare. She was mousy, hair cropped short, with a small, round face and large eyes. Not particularly pretty. Minato noticed her hitai-ate.

Slashed through the middle with a thin, ragged line. Minato stared.

He wasn't sure when he began to see it. Maybe it had started to happen all those years ago, that summer he was thirteen, when Enma said, _ever wonder what it was like before this?_ while they he'd laughed and acted like he hadn't said anything at all. He'd noticed there was something quiet, observant, about Enma then. Minato's eyes narrowed, searching his friend's face.

He stood up quickly.

"Where's yours?" he asked suddenly, chest tight, and he wasn't sure if he was horribly angry or saddened by this suspicion. Enma frowned, and Minato couldn't see it, the hitai-ate, tied around Enma's arm like it usually was. It was gone. Minato began to back away. The woman glared, said, "Knew it," and her fingers went to the senbon in her belt as Enma tried to grab her and stop her assault. But Minato had thrown a kunai and pinned her hand to the ground faster than she could react, and Enma shouted.

"No, wait! Minato! Hold on, let me explain-" He angrily shoved aside his companion, oddly silent save for her grunts of pain and a hiss of, "_W__hy _do you even want this kid?" She plucked the kunai from her hand and gasped, cradling it. Minato ignored her.

"You going rogue?" Minato spat, and he feel the blood going to his face. He thought of Enma, the boy who wore the Fire Country symbol proudly. The boy who'd done everything Minato had always wanted to do, only to throw it away with a death wish. The boy he'd told secrets to, the boy he'd had to share bunks with when he spent the night, the boy he'd spent summer catching frogs with. The boy he thought he knew, and the man he didn't recognize.

His heart began to race.

"I'm joining a resistance," Enma said shortly. "I'm still _fighting_." He shook his head. "You don't know what it's like out there, Minato. I was out there, and I've seen enough shit, man. I've seen enough to know when something isn't right, and you have to believe me when I tell you it isn't. I can't sit around and not _do_ something about it anymore-"

Minato cut him off with a caustic laugh. "You _could _have been doing something about it before you gave your chance the finger-"

"You don't understand. You don't know what it's like-" he sounded pained.

"Hell you can't. You wanna make a difference, you were in a pretty damn good position to start trying. You wanna throw your fucking life away, go ahead. You better start running," he said dangerously, "They pay a pretty penny for a rogue."

Enma took a hesitant step back before scowling. "I wanted to come home and tell you before I left-"

"Ha. Yeah, okay," spat Minato, turning, looking over at the woman sitting in the grass, no doubt secretly planning his death with how intensely she glowered. It could have also been because Minato put a hole in her hand.

"I want to ask you to come with me."

Minato turned to stare. Enma swallowed. "Shit's bad beyond the mountain. Clan kids taken from their beds. Ninja aren't who they used to be. It's not like it was. But...we could change it. I know we can and..." he hesitated, and Minato tried to quell the sinking feeling in his gut.

"You could," said Enma finally. "You're the only one who could. Ever since you told me about..." he paused again, looking over at the woman, who was listening hard. Minato ground his teeth together.

His one secret. He'd confided in Enma, and here his friend was, about to spill it in front of a stranger.

_This is a family secret for now, understand? _Father had said, years ago, hand on Minato's shoulder, and Minato had nodded. But he hadn't kept the secret like he'd promised. Now he wondered if he regretted it.

"Think about it, Minato," said Enma slowly, "Don't you wanna know what it's like? Do you wanna just sit here while it happens, when you could _do _something? You don't _have _to hide! I can protect you, we all can, and we can change the age we're in. Together. You're like my brother." He paused. Held out a hand.

"And I don't want to leave my brother."

Minato shook his head dumbly. "I can't even use it," he whispered.

Enma gripped his shoulders. "You don't have. You don't have to yet. You're already a freakin' legend with those eyes." He laughed a little. "Think about it," he urged, "You can make a difference. We _need _you. Do you wanna stay up here when everything is happening down there? I thought you wanted out."

The woman scoffed at this. Minato said nothing. He thought of his fathers, of his sister. He thought of leaving the mountain.

_Somethin' bothering you? _Dad had asked the other week. Minato hadn't said anything then. He wondered what he would have said now. He wondered if Father would forgive him.

"We're small right now," said Enma, pulling him away from the thought, "but we'll get bigger-"

"Enma," the woman said suddenly, but Enma ignored her.

"Hold _on_, Rumi-"

She fell suddenly, a stricken look on her face, and Enma whirled around. Minato sucked in a breath. A kunai handle sprouted out of her back. Enma clenched his fists.

"Hunter nin," he said, right as the earth exploded. Minato was thrown, skidding over the clearing. He spat out grass and dirt and blood. When he looked, Rumi's body was gone, nothing but a black char mark left in the grass.

"Are you a fucking _idiot?" _he cried, jumping at just the right moment senbon rained from the sky. He activated the Sharingan with a quick blink.

Enma groaned. "They must have followed me-"

"No shit," Minato growled, glaring into the trees, but he couldn't find or sense anyone. Enma staggered to his feet.

"I gotta get back to the group, they could be in trouble-" Enma didn't get to say much more. Suddenly mud clones rose from the ground and began to attack.

"Find the damn earth user and take him out," Minato cried, slashing a clone's neck. It spurted mud and dissolved. As he said it, his blood rushed in a roar. Minato had never had to use these skills in a genuine fight.

He was excited.

Something was behind him. He whirled, slashed, got rid of another clone. It exploded, a ticking time bomb if it didn't kill you first. Enma used his Octopus, taking out all the clones with a wring to the neck in one fluid movement. The ground rumbled.

Rock restraints began to pop out of the ground like daisies, and Minato practically had to skip over them all, each one erupting just as his heel touched the ground. Despite the situation, Enma laughed at him from across the field.

"This ballet or what?"

Another kunai was thrown, and Minato sent a fire dragon spiraling towards the trees where he'd finally seen one of the hunters, and watched, wide-eyed as the kunai sped past his cheek as he avoided it narrowly, his _tomoe _spinning. It embedded itself in a tree trunk, and it erupted, gone when the smoke cleared. The man in the trees screamed as he burned, and Minato froze for a moment.

He thought of Tsuki, so long ago, dead by his shuriken star, and it bothered him, this dead man he'd killed. Made him shake. He narrowly avoided getting hit again.

"Keep you head!" Enma cried.

Minato looked over to shout at Enma, say something he couldn't even remember then, when suddenly one of the exploding kunai came. He watched in morbid fascination, in horror, as the Sharingan slowed the image down in his mind. Enma saw it, Minato shouted, and Enma tried to escape it.

But it slit his throat as it sped past, staining the grass red. Enma crumpled with a gasp. The ground exploded where it hit, erasing everything in a neat little circle, and Minato shielded his eyes, screaming.

"ENMAAAA!" Minato was there in a flash, and his blood, his limbs, everything seemed to freeze. Dark blood was oozing from Enma's throat, jugular vein severed neatly. Minato realized, belatedly, that Enma was drowning in his own blood as he gazed up at Minato, mouth opening and closing, a trembling hand reaching up for him.

He didn't know what to do. His brain seemed to pause with the shock. He clapped his hands over Enma's throat, as if his fingers could staunch the blood, like he could pinch the torn flesh together and make it right.

"You're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay, I got you, I got you." It was what Father and Dad used to say, whenever he hurt himself when he was younger. When he broke his arm and kept trying not to cry. His hands were red.

Enma stared at him and gurgled. He reached up, clapped a hand tightly to Minato's arm, and shuddered. He stopped moving, and Minato backed away slowly. He didn't realize he was crying until his vision blurred so badly his image of Enma distorted.

A kunai zoomed in, embedding itself neatly in Enma's chest. Minato lunged as it exploded, eradicating whatever was left of his friend.

Rogues needed to be destroyed, completely erased.

Minato went rigid. Someone was standing behind him. He could feel the breath on the back of his neck. "I never though I'd see another Uchiha alive again."

Minato realized he couldn't move. The shock of Enma's death numbed him, kept him from screaming. A kunai tapped at his temple, traced gently down to the corner of his eye, where the Sharingan still spun. "I'm gonna start with your eyes, boy," said the man he couldn't see, "You know how much I can sell those babies for? And I'm gonna take 'em slow, watch you scream before I kill you. There was only one Uchiha I knew of back when the war was goin' on, and if you're that bastard's boy, killing you's gonna make a lot of things right for me." The kunai point bit deeper into his skin, and he felt a small trail of blood ooze past his eye, like a tear.

It reminded him of Father. Sometimes Father cried blood.

Footsteps. A grunt, and the body behind him was shoved violently forward. A figure shot past Minato, a figure all in black he knew all too well, and as Father chased the hunter into the wood, Minato felt his knees give way. He sank to the grass, eyes glancing at the charred black spot where Enma had fallen.

He stared at it, and when a scream ripped from the forest, Minato felt a heat bubbling over his skin. Something burning and rancid and terrible, and the voice in his head whispered, _Minato. _

He thought of Enma, alive mere moments ago, Enma who'd been laughing, Enma who's ass he was going to kick for even thinking about leaving, and he opened his mouth to shout.

Minato screamed, and the world washed over in red.

* * *

><p>Sasuke nearly stumbled once he sped past the trees, throwing the hunter ahead of him. Minato didn't move, and Sasuke didn't have time to look back, only feel assured he'd arrived in time. The man crashed into a tree and roared, but Sasuke threw his katana, pinned him to a tree th, and the hunter gaped dumbly at the speed . Sasuke walked over to look him in the eye as he grasped at the handle with firm hands, making him squirm.<p>

"Hunter nin?" he breathed, and shook his head, eye spinning. "You're just a bounty hunter out of your league." He pressed on the sword, making the poor fool scream, before he activated Amaterasu and burned him away. He quelled it instantly as soon as his target had disappeared. For a moment, he stared at the charred tree, before plucking away his katana and sprinting away.

"Minato!"

Sasuke stopped, breath catching in his throat.

Ahead, Minato was slowly climbing to his feet. He stumbled a little, staggering, and when he looked up, it wasn't his son's eyes that stared back. Th right eye was burning a vivid red, the whites and pupil gone, still wide with shock. The other was his Minato's, but already the pupil was beginning to slit. The Sharingan activated in his left eye, and the _tomoe _spun, morphed, until Sasuke was staring at the Mangekyo.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Enma," said Minato. He opened his mouth again, as if to scream, but only a roar followed. Minato stumbled again, staring at his hands. Sasuke took a careful step forward, his own Mangekyo straining his eye.

"Minato," he tried, slowly, carefully. "Son."

Minato whipped his head around unnaturally fast. He blinked. "Enma," he said again. Cold fear prickled Sasuke's skin. This was his son, he told himself. His boy. He took another step forward.

"It's going to be okay. I got you. You're alright." A muscle in his cheek began to spasm as he said it. He reached out. The Mangekyo kept spinning.

Minato stared. The venomous chakra that burned red was beginning to ooze in bubbles off his skin, so much like Naruto. But nothing happened. The demon chakra didn't hide, and Sasuke grunted at the pain in his head. Bloody tears seeped from his eye.

"I'm going to kill them. I'm going to _kill _everyone who ever wronged us," said Minato, in a quiet voice. Sasuke's stomach seized.

"No," he whispered, and his fingers were close, so close, to cupping Minato's cheek. He could feel the burn, like his hand was hovering over fire. Suddenly Minato snarled, and a chakra tail coiled around Sasuke's wist, burning him. He was thrown, skidding over the grass.

"_I'm going to kill them all." _It was no longer Minato's voice.

The tail lashed out, setting fire to the trees, and another one sprouted. Minato began to hunch over, snarling and cursing, bones beginning to appear like armor over his skin. Sasuke shook his head.

"_No!" _he shouted, and he lunged forward, taking his son forcefully by the shoulders and biting back the curses from the pain,"NO! Minato, _look at me-"_

He was tossed aside like a rag doll, and he felt a rib fracture. He grunted against the sear on his skin. _So this is it, _he thought grimly, _the harnessed power of the Bjuu._

"Don't...don't make me hurt you." A tear of blood slipped from his eye, but it slid away too fast, too real to be only blood. Minato growled. Sasuke gripped his katana, pondering his next move. Chidori began to sing as he activated it.

Minato had surpassed him in brute strength with this transformation. He'd have to rely on speed and tricks, and aim to deliver a stunning blow to the side of Minato's head, hoping that unconsciousness would end the demon state.

He ran. A demon tail sped towards him, but Sasuke fooled him with a simple illusion, and the tail grasped nothing, allowing Sasuke to keep on running. But Minato saw through the illusion too quickly and the demon tail came racing up behind him.

Sasuke leaped, katana raised, sparking with Chidori for a stunning effect-

He was grabbed by the ankle at the last moment, dodging the second tail, thrown so hard he was lying in a shallow crater, trying to shake off the pain and woozy vision. He leaped away before Minato could take another hit.

He formed seals quickly, and Chidori snaked into the twin dragons he'd perfected over the years. They hissed and Minato snarled, growing a sword out of bone. He slashed at them with insane speed, but the dragons were quick, and Sasuke sighed when they coiled tightly around him. His son howled as the dragons eletrocuted him. Over and over. Sasuke winced, looked away. But suddenly, Minato tore them, bisecting the dragons with the bone.

"Stop, Minato! _DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!" _An ache settled deep in his chest, twisting and warping and making him think of old promises and legends and prophecies. His boy. His _boy_...

Minato's mouth opened wide, a bijuu bomb beginning to form. Sasuke swallowed, forming the seals.

"_Katon: _Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"__ The great fireball hurtled into Minato head on, interrupting the bomb. Minato flew back. Sasuke trembled, breathing ragged, running forward. But when Minato didn't fall, Sasuke cursed.

Too quickly, he found himself purely on the defensive, unable to do much but dodge and deflect. His own Mangekyo was doing little for him. With his own activated, Minato could see the speed, slow it down, notice the techniques. Suddenly a tail wrapped around Sasuke with bruising strength, rising in the air before crashing back down, never once releasing him. Sasuke rolled once it let go, groaning, clutching at his chest. He spat blood.

"_Minato!" _he yelled, staggering to his feet.

"_Kill them all," _said his son, in a voice that wasn't his, and before Minato could deliver a fatal blow, someone came streaking through the wood. Sasuke could see the blond hair, the fiery glow of Naruto's Tailed Beast Mode. His stomach dropped again. He stretched out a hand, as if he might be able to reach into the sky and pull Naruto back.

"No, Naruto-!"

"MINATO!" Naruto roared, and he leaped through the air like a wild thing, blue eyes blazing, bijuu bomb in his palm. Sasuke braced himself for impact. He was thrown backward as a mighty wind from the hit leveled the clearing. He shielded his eyes, fighting his way back up, taking a step forward.

Naruto had Minato in a choke hold, while Minato struggled and roared.

"This isn't you!" he heard Naruto yell. "This isn't you, and if you don't snap outta this, I swear, Minato-" he didn't finish. Minato roared, and Sasuke saw something feral in Naruto he'd never seen before. Naruto's eyes burned red, and when his lips pulled back in a snarl, Sasuke could see his teeth had elongated. He roared, right back in their son's face, a ferocious light in his eyes. Minato quieted.

"You. Don't. Let. It. Consume. You." He shoved Minato down viciously, and suddenly their son went limp. The red chakra began to fade. The red light in his left eye began to disappear.

Naruto slumped over him. Sasuke was too stunned to move.

"Dad," rasped Minato suddenly, beginning to come to, and Sasuke pulled himself forward, gritting his teeth against his burns. "What happened to me?" his son asked, looking at his hands in horror, gray eyes impossibly wide with shock and pain.

He watched, as Naruto bent his head, put a hand on Minato's shoulder and say something low Sasuke couldn't hear. Minato groaned, tried pushing him away, squeeze his eyes shut and grab at his hair, saying, "Enma's dead." Then he turned his head and vomited.

Sasuke stumbled. One of the tail whips earlier had slicked through the skin on his ankle where he'd been grabbed. He'd seen the pale glint of bone when he'd last looked at it. With a pained grunt, he finally reached them, and plopped down next to Naruto and Minato. He watched as Naruto cradled Minato's head as if he were a baby, and kiss Minato, lightly, on the top of his head, as he hugged him. The type of treatment you gave your child when you were relieved they were still alive.

"I got you," he growled, "I got you." He flicked his gaze over to Sasuke, narrowing when he took Sasuke in. Sasuke shook his head.

_Not now._

"It's going to be alright," Sasuke heard himself say, and put a hand on Minato's trembling shoulder, letting his fingers grip into his son's shoulder comfortingly. He looked up to the sky. The clouds were rolling in. A storm was coming. Thunder rumbled low in the distance.

"It's going to be alright."

He closed his eyes and hoped it would rain.

* * *

><p>Ai was braiding Miki's hair.<p>

"Your tugging too hard on her hair! You're going to make it fall out!" Mikoto snatched the doll from Ai's hands with a glare, running her fingers through the Miki's yellow yarn hair, inspecting it as though she would find a bald spot she could blame Ai on. Ai rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.

"Geez, relax." She sighed, and flopped onto the couch. A storm was coming, and Mikoto nervously hugged Miki tightly to her chest. Mrs. Kobayashi was in the kitchen, washing the dishes in the sink and pausing every five seconds to throw a look over her shoulder, out the window. Mikoto wandered over, standing on her tip-toes to look out.

She only saw stupid Takeo beating up a tree with a stick, probably pretending he was Minato or Enma, like he always did. She sighed explosively.

"When are they coming back?" she demanded, hands on her hips. Father and Daddy and Minato were taking _way too long. _

"Soon," said Mrs. Kobayashi shortly, in that _don't-ask-me-again _tone. Mikoto huffed, hugging Miki again. She blinked back tears.

"Twenty minutes," said Ai, squinting over at the clock. "They've been gone for twenty minutes."

Mikoto groaned dramatically, sprawling out on the floor with Miki.

"Are you worried about Minato?" she asked. Ai blushed crimson.

"Of course not."

"I think you love him."

Ai looked scandalized. "I do not!" she hissed.

Mikoto giggled. "I saw you kiss your hand the other day." She puckered her lips and made kissing noises, saying, "_I love you, Minato!" _and hugged herself.

Ai threw a pillow at her. Mikoto wailed as though it had been a brick thrown at her head.

"No rough housing!" Mrs. Kobayashi yelled sternly.

Mikoto harrumphed and stopped crying. "Go ahead and like him. See if I care! You can both be stupid together!"

Ai rolled her eyes again. Suddenly Takeo came barging in through the door, still brandishing his little stick.

"They're coming back!" he cried, and bounded back outside. Mikoto threw herself upright, grabbing Miki ("Hurry up, Miki, you slow poke!") and sprinting out the door. She opened her mouth to cry, "Daddy!" (which she called both of them sometimes anyway) at the top of her lungs, but stopped. Mrs. Kobayashi ran past her as though she hadn't seen her.

Daddy and Father were walking up the path to the house. Slowly. Minato was draped over Daddy's back. He looked like he'd been sunburned. Really badly. Father walked with a limp.

"Enma?" she heard Mrs. Kobayashi ask them, and suddenly Ai was pushing her back to the house, because someone was wailing, and it sounded worse than Mikoto's angry crying.

"What's going on? What's happening?" she asked as Ai pushed her inside.

Ai said, "Enma's dead," and slammed the door shut in Mikoto's face.

* * *

><p>When he woke the second time, night had come.<p>

Sasuke sat up slowly, letting the sheets pool around his waist. He looked over himself. His chest was bandaged. Burned, he remembered. His ankle had been stitched up and seen to.

_Minato. _

He sighed and pulled himself out of bed, just as Naruto came inside.

"Get your ass back in bed."

Sasuke grunted. "I can walk."

Naruto sighed. "Sure you can." He stepped close to hook Sasuke's arm over his shoulder to take the weight off his injured foot, and Sasuke could smell his usual musk: somethng like cinnamon, probably because Mikoto loved it on her toast every morning and Naruto had taken a liking to it. Sweat, earth, grass. He didn't realize he'd leaned in a little closer.

"How's Minato?"

Naruto took a breath. "He's taking it hard. Blaming himself."

"Any idea what happened back there? It seemed like-"

"I know." Naruto cut him off grimly. "Like the fox."

They were in the hallway now. "Do you think it-?"

"No, it didn't possess him, not entirely. He became in tune with the Kyuubi's soul, started molding with the demon's hate. Lost his sense of self. There's a lot of hate that comes with demonic chakra-"

"He couldn't control it," Sasuke finished for him. "How do you know?"

"No," answered Naruto bitterly, "And I got it right from the damn fox himself. He may wanna kill me most days and keeps thinking he can burst through kids like a sociopath, but we've developed a respect over the years, or else I wouldn't have been able to hold onto Minato like I did today. Wouln't have Tailed Beast Mode either, come to think of it."

"Will he ever be able to? Control it?"

There was a pause. "Yeah. It's something that will eat you alive if you don't." They stopped outside Minato's room.

"He saw you in bed," said Naruto slowly. "He was in shock there for a bit when he woke up, when we brought him home. He saw your ankle as Natsumi was redressing it. He got really upset."

Sasuke nodded, knocking on the door. Naruto opened it without waiting for a "come in".

Minato was sitting up in bed. He blinked when he saw Sasuke hobble in.

"You're awake."

"So are you."

Minato turned his gaze away. He was ashamed, Sasuke could see.

"Don't act like that," Sasuke reprimanded gruffly, and Minato looked up. "You can't take back what happened out there, but you _can_ do something about it."

A tear spilled down Minato's cheek. He nodded, silent, looking away again. Sasuke sighed. "Good."

He surprised Minato by stepping forward and wrapping him in a hug. For a long moment, they were silent. A cold fear had wrapped itself around Sasuke, and he held his son tight. For a terrible, terrible second, he'd wondered if he'd have to kill his son to stop the transformation when nothing worked, when his own Mangekyo had done _nothing _to hide the Kyuubi's influence, and he had been willing to die to avoid it. Sasuke cleared his throat and pulled away, hands on his son's shoulders.

"Why did they kill him like that?" Minato suddenly asked. "He doesn't get any chance? Nothing at all?" His voice was empty. Flat. Naruto ran a hand through his too-short hair, unsure of what to say. Sasuke patted his shoulder.

"Maybe one day it'll be different." He walked out the door then, Naruto not too far behind. They wandered back to the bedroom. Naruto sat on the foot of the bed, a little hunched, shoulders squared.

"Where's Mikoto?" Sasuke asked. He hadn't heard her.

"Already asleep-"

"Hey!" The door burst open.

"...Or not," Naruto mumbled, an _oomph _flying out of his lips when their daughter collided with him headlong.

"Father are you awake? Father? Father? _Helloooo!" _

Sasuke decided it was a good time to pretend he was already asleep if she was in a playful mood, and winced when Mikoto attempted to pry his eyelid open. Naruto snickered.

"You're not asleep," she said.

"But I _am _tired," he said.

"But you're not asleep." She swung herself over onto the bed and Sasuke groaned when she landed on his stomach. Naruto snorted, and Sasuke shot him a glare.

"Are you hurt real bad-?" Mikoto frowned at the bandages on his chest, and before she tap her chin and poke Sasuke in the chest experimentally, Naruto laughed, getting up.

"Alright, little miss, time for bed!" Naruto swooped over, Sasuke's savior for the night, and gripped Mikoto under the arms, lifting her.

She pouted. "No, wait!"

"You can bug him tomorrow, I promise."

"Pinky promise?"

Sasuke snorted and held up his pinky. "I swear," he said solemnly, and Mikoto looked over Naruto's shoulder to grin at him. She said, "I love you and goodnight!" blowing a kiss like a movie star, like everything was okay with the world, and he was glad to see it. He thought of Minato, reeling from the loss of a friend and the fright of something unknown, and sleep was hard to come by.

Minato turned eighteen two days later. The days came and went, and the Kobayashis didn't reappear. The medicine woman came, an ex-nin with a medic history, and Sasuke's burns and wounds healed quickly. Mikoto would grow quiet whenever she heard Enma's name.

"What happens when you die?" she'd asked, and Sasuke had only patted her head, and never said a word. Minato drifted from room to room, quiet and contemplative, but when Naruto got him to spar again, he'd smiled a little. Sasuke found him picking at a little wooden totem bird one day, no bigger than the tip of his pinkie.

"Enma made it," was all Minato said. Inspired, Sasuke took it, searching around the house until he found a strip of leather. Now Minato wore it proudly. He'd even grinned, the big one that showed all his teeth, the one that made him look like Naruto. With Minato's birthday came the storms. They rolled in form the north, blackening the sky. Sasuke thought of Minato's birth.

On Sunday, early morning greeted them with a thunder storm. Minato wandered into his and Naruto's bedroom, and one look was enough to explain why. Minato pointed at a sleepy eyed Mikoto clinging to him, arms wrapped around her older brother tightly.

"She's stuck," he said flatly, and Sasuke and Naruto laughed. The thunder rumbled, and Mikoto whimpered, wedging herself between Sasuke and Naruto, while Minato flopped down across the foot of the bed, his legs dangling off the side with a yawn.

The rain came.

Sasuke couldn't sleep. He looked at his family, huddled on the bed. Naruto snoring, Mikoto lying across his chest with her thumb in her mouth, and Minato sprawled on the end of the bed, unconsciously pushing away Naruto's feet every now and then. Sasuke rose and dressed. The sky had lightened by then, but not by much.

He shuffled past the kitchen, past the living room, finally reaching the door. He pushed it open, walking into a wall of summer heat, fresh with the smell of rain and dirt. He crossed his arms, watched the rain fall in sheets. The light on the porch was still on, the morning dark making it wink orange.

"Couldn't go back to sleep?"

He turned to see Naruto. He thought about lighting a cigarette, almost reached into his pocket, but didn't.

"Not much room on the bed," he answered, and Naruto yawned, laughing a little. He stretched, reaching his arms into the air, and running a hand over his short-cropped hair, scratching the back of his neck as he squinted through the rainfall. He was still in what he'd worn to bed: boxers and t-shirt still splattered with rose-pink paint stains from painting Mikoto's room when she'd asked two years ago.

Sasuke silently studied him. Not too much about Naruto had changed since their youth. There was a ruggedness about him, but on Naruto, it looked handsome, it carved out his face with the hardened look of a man who'd been there, done that. He kept his hair short, cut close to his scalp since they'd shaved for their subtle henges after the Temple. The darker tan Suna's deserts had given him had never completely gone away.

But his eyes were exactly the same. And so was the confidant, cocky smile Mikoto and Minato mimicked so perfectly.

Today he was sitting on the porch swing, the porch swing that was there because Minato had wanted one just like the one the Kobayashis had. Naruto's elbows were on his knees, and Sasuke could tell he was waiting. Again. Like he did every morning. Every night.

"What do you think you'll see?" he asked finally.

"Hmm?" Naruto turned, raised a golden brow. He let out a breath, and a smile Sasuke knew so well. "Pfft, I see a lot of things. I see a tree over there, a bird eating a worm, got pretty loud kids in that nest that remind me a bit of a couple people-"

Sasuke snorted.

"Smart ass."

Naruto chuckled. He paused. "I don't know," he said finally. "I don't know, but one day maybe it'll be something."

Sasuke remembered telling him once _no one is ever coming. _He thought of Minato, of the story behind Enma's death, and he frowned.

"Something's going to give."

Naruto nodded. "I know."

"Did he tell you," Naruto began suddenly, and Sasuke looked over, "Did he tell you Enma wanted him to go with?"

Sasuke was quiet. "Yeah."

"Do you think he would've?" It seemed to bother Naruto slightly, in some way. He leaned back against the porch swing, chest rising and falling with a sigh, spreading his arm over the back, so his fingers grazed over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Didn't you come with me?" Sasuke asked. The rain fell harder, and Naruto turned to look at him.

"Is that even the same?"

"Does it matter?"

Naruto paused, brow furrowing with a thoughtful frown. "He's eighteen. He wants to see things," he said. Sasuke nodded.

"But not if he can't control himself."

Naruto was quiet.

"Did that stop you?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "What?"

"Did that stop you," he said lowly, and his blue eyes were hard, like flint, in the early morning gloom. "When you broke into Konoha that night?"

Sasuke eyes drifted to his lips. He thought of a night long gone, the very first night that had started it all. He thought of how Naruto had gripped him tight, with a grip that could have easily thrown him around and taken him in as much as hold him back. He briefly wondered about the last time they were together (and with a very curious Mikoto, that cut down on time). It'd been quick, consuming, a romp in the garden shed, and when he'd pressed so tightly against Naruto that Sasuke had shoved him into the wall and sent tools flying, Naruto had laughed. It was a nice thought. But underneath it was the fact that Naruto was right.

The last week had been Naruto lying awake in bed, and Sasuke knew what he was thinking, because he was thinking it too, and they could only lie closer and watch Minato go through the motions with careful eyes. Once Naruto had confided that he was worried about Mikoto. She was rough sometimes with animals she found in the yard. He talked about a bird she'd trapped in her hands.

_Freakin' weirdest thing though. She let it go all of a sudden, and it hopped onto her shoulder like she'd never done anything wrong. Even started to sing._

_She's just curious, she probably doesn't mean it, _said Sasuke, but he was dubious. The thought made his squirm uncomfortably, and he thought of Minato again. He wondered what sway the Kyuubi's evil had over personalities. But when he looked at his daughter, she was a normal five year old. She played a little rough, was mischievous, but she was sweet.

Naruto noticed his silence after a while. "You're annoyed."

"Hn." Sasuke wondered about that cigarette.

Nauto gestured to his face, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips that had always been the same. "You do that thing with your-" Sasuke batted his hand away.

"Shut up," and Naruto did, because Sasuke kissed him, slowly, leisurely. They broke apart, and suddenly Naruto was cupping his face, pulling him closer. Lips on his mouth, on his neck, nipping at his ear. Hot breath ghosting over his throat. Sasuke could feel the pent-up frustration, from everything, in the way their lips collided. Sasuke groaned and gripped Naruto by the shoulders, pulling him to his feet by his shirt.

"Too damn long, huh?" Naruto teased with a waggle of his eyebrows. Sasuke smirked, and they darted through the rain, away from the bedroom window too close by the porch swing. Past the tool shed, and then they were racing for the shrine a mile up the road, the old, crumbling one covered in moss and hidden away in the forest that no one ever visited.

It was sinful, and it made Sasuke laugh.

The race was a tie, and that was just fine, because Sasuke caught Naruto easily. He ripped the t-shirt away, rain water slick on Naruto's skin, and Naruto gripped him back tightly, the same way he'd done all those years ago. It bubbled over quickly, a crashing of bodies and muted groans and desperate touches, hungry bucks against thighs and hips.

And the rain fell all around them as Sasuke pushed past that wall of euphoria, the darkness of the storm hiding them away. Naruto leaned back against him with a sharp hiss, hands gripping his hips in a bruising grip and pulling him roughly forward.

_Don't stop, _Naruto had gasped, and Sasuke hadn't wanted to. Death, destruction, demons, it all vanished then, just for a moment. After, they lay curled around each other, their clothes a terrible pillow for the hard, cold floor. Naruto had an arm around him, his nose to Sasuke's temple. He could feel Naruto smile.

"We should get back."

Sasuke laughed. "Probably. Before Mikoto starts looking for us in the shed again."

Naruto snorted, rolling away to put on his clothes.

"I wish I could reenact your face."

"No."

"It was priceless."

"You made her come to me with all the _difficult _questions."

"And I'd never laughed so hard in my life-argh!"

Sasuke hooked an arm around his neck, making Naruto stumble.

"Want me to say uncle? Or maybe you just want me to say _Sasuke?" _he teased. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but playfully pushed him away.

"Moron. Thirty-freakin'-four and you've never changed."

"Now you want me to change? I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna be that cranky old guy."

Sasuke leveled him with a dry look.

"I'm not old," he sniffed, and with that they left the shrine. The rain had let up to a light drizzle, but before they could reach the road, Naruto stopped.

"Sasuke," he said, and Sasuke turned. Naruto jerked his head to the road.

A dog was trotting up the road, its brown head bent and sniffing at the dirt, not pausing to look up. It was a mangy old mutt with a wolfish face and pricked ears. It walked in a zig-zag as it tracked, and suddenly, it paused to look up and blink large dark eyes at them. The dog ran over. For a moment, Sasuke had wondered if it would run past them. His heart began to hammer away as it got closer, and he wondered if it was finally time. Naruto said nothing. The dog approached them and sat on its haunches.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha," it said. Sasuke nodded grimly. Naruto was silent by his side, hands clenched into fists. He only bent his head forward slightly in acknowledgement.

"The Fire Lord was assassinated this morning," said the dog, pausing to scratch its ear. Sasuke looked to Naruto sharply. "The time is now. We're waiting for you, in the village hidden in the leaves."

Then it was gone, and Sasuke could feel Naruto's eyes on him. Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Someone came," he said.

* * *

><p>AN: Another beast of a chapter, but I figure since it's pretty much the end now, I don't really want to keep breaking it up and prolonging it xD Um, last chapter will be up soon. At the lastest, next week, so I guess I could even say next year xD Although...it would be really nice to end it all before 2013 ends. I'm going to spend the weekend working on Born This Way's newest chapter (which is currently at about 2k), since I have admittedly been chugging away with this one most of my writing time since it's ending. Don't worry, Born This Way will have a new chapter up before the new year.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to giving you all the conclusion of Fortune's Fool in the next update :)


	43. The Wanderers Part 1

A/N: I listened, quite often, to Mordred's lullaby by Heather Dale for the beginning of the end *slaps on safety goggles* I didn't want to put this up just yet, because it's done in parts. But, since Naruto ended, I wanted to update _something._ The Temple of Izanami was done in parts, if you'll remember, because that chapter lasted _94 _pages. lmao. So, I'm not doing that to you guys in one sitting. Idk about you, but I get to a point where I think a chapter can get too long. And this is already 8k! So. This is being done in parts. Enjoy the beginning of the end. Mwahahahaha! Preview of the next part at the bottom! Also, I think I found a calculation error in Minato's birthday. I may have to go back and edit that. lol.

* * *

><p><em>The Wanderers pt. 1<em>

_"Little Demons"_

The Fire Lord was dead, and Konohagakure was alive with it.

There were whispers in the streets. Quiet, at first, little rumors breeding in a dark corner before the mouths that bore them swallowed them whole.

_Right in his bed_, some said.

_I heard his wife didn't cry. Not a tear_.

_Something new. Or someone. Gotta be. Even the Guardians are scared. Though I heard his death bordered on the supernatural-_

_You know that purist cult? The Brotherhood? That Councilman-you remember him? the Brotherhood member who got elected-he's gone into hiding again. Lost the country's favor. They know something is coming._

_The resistance is coming_, whispered another.

_You're all idiots,_ said the florist down the street._ It's been 18 years. The rebels are all dead, in the Bingo book and hiding, because there's nowhere left for them to go but the chopping block. You think your Uzumaki is any more of a hero than he was 19 years ago? He either cut his losses like a smart man and hid, or rotted away on the side of a road._

But believers never lost hope. The signs, the messages, had survived all these years.

The ninja are going to return. This village will know balance once again, promised an old shopkeeper who kept a picture of his long-dead jounin daughter tucked carefully away in an inner breast pocket. He was a quiet man. Someone who turned a blind eye when hungry orphans filtered through his market's aisles. When he was led away in binds later that morning by two masked Guardians, (treason, was the curt answer) he only hung his head and said, "Soon. They'll be back." He turned to wink at a man watching from under the shadowed tin roof of a boarded-up shop. He was a lithe, mysterious man. A man with one eye and a lazy glare. A shock of silver hair, streaked lighter with age. He frowned when the old man was tugged forward. Cracked his knuckles and stretched his fingers in his leather gloves.

He kicked off the brick wall of the condemned shop he was leaning against, disgusted. It still smelled like piss, from the dogs and cats and rats the shopkeeper had kept huddled in the display window. Pet Shop! The faded paint above the door still read. Kakashi fell into step behind the retreating Guardians, ignored by the curious crowd trickling out to watch, away from their fans and air conditioning, because something new and important was happening.

The Fire Lord was dead.

Kakashi pushed his way past a reporter ("Is it true the Hokage's Guardian unit has kicked its team leader over rumors concerning Daimyo Osamu's death?"). He silently slipped under the noses of gossipy civillians. He kept his eye trained on the back of the old shopkeeper's head. He could feel the cool metal of the shuriken star as it slid from his sleeve into his palm. Kakashi waited. No one looked at him. No one cared.

Because the Fire Lord was dead. Killed that morning in his bed. And the young son of Osamu the Fourth would be taking the title of Daimyo on this fine bright Sunday, the youngest Fire Lord in a century. The best story yet, that Kakashi had listened to over breakfast, was the tale of how a fearsome shinigami had slithered its way into Osamu the Fourth's bedroom to steal away his soul.

"For all his wrong-doings," the waiter had whispered.

And if Kakashi thought hard enough, if he looked into the white eyes of the odd Hyuuga clan member who ventured outside of their gates every so often, kept corralled in the village and tallied, if he listened and didn't hear their children playing under the afternoon sun, a monster stealing the soul of the Daimyo didn't seem all that impossible at all.

But Kakashi had still snorted into his morning tea and idly thumbed through his dog-eared copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Long out of print, and what a sad day that was, when the publishing company had cut its losses (wartime was money! If there was no author to pen the series, it was time to look to new horizons, especially when propaganda about Osamu's New Age could be sold!) and set the series free.

Pity.

He wondered what Jiraiya would say.

Someone spat at the Guardians and said, "Traitor." Kakashi looked up. The boys (they couldn't have been older than seventeen) didn't flinch, but their dark eyes, wide and wary, said everything. Doe eyes. Eyes that hadn't seen much more than a scuffle in the village streets.

It was dangerous business these days, being a Guardian nin inside the walls of Konoha. More dangerous than it was outside of it.

Not once did they seem to notice Kakashi, a shadow on the wall. The grip on their prisoner tightened. The crowd grew dense. A protest began to lick the walls of Konoha's downtown, ninja families longing for the justice the village had not yet seen since the end of the Fourth Great War. The voices rose high and and condemning. Someone shook their fists and shouted, "There's no freedom here. We can't even talk in the streets in peace. There is no peace."

"No peace!"

The guardians threatened the forming crowd with growls of "arrest" and "tear gas will be used for crowd control" and "this is your final warning".

Kakashi sighed.

To think, he had been about to disappear. He had almost decided to wander the streets aimlessly after his cold cup of tea to rid himself of the nervous energy that coiled his body tight, so he could stop looking around each corner; waiting, looking, hoping. Then he'd seen old man Ryou led away like a criminal for an off-handed comment.

Taken as treason, of course.

Of course.

Kakashi quickened his steps. A woman caught his eye, but he looked away from her and quickly slipped into an alleyway. Scaled up the apartment's fire escape and perched on its roof. He squinted against the weak morning glare, then wondered if he was getting too old to crouch on roofs like a gargoyle.

He chuckled.

He shrugged, squinted into the crowd below, and threw his little star without further thought. It was a lazy shot, but it did what it was aimed to do: narrowly miss slicing off the ear of the first Guardian and embed itself at his feet. The kid yelped. Kakashi waited for them to move in their too-tight and too-uniform way that made Kakashi's eyes roll to the back of his head because it was so utterly predictable it wasn't even a fight anymore. Just some old man gone rogue in his own village serving two kids their asses before lunch.

Lovely. He let smoke bombs fly.

It ended in chaos, with the people screaming and yelling and laughing and trying to point at the figure through the fog, and old man Ryou slipping away. Kakashi had long ago disentangled himself from the mess, and was now watching from a street corner on the curb, smiling as he sat, enjoying the view.

"One of these days you're going to get caught."

"One of these days," said Kakashi amiably, "Which probably isn't today." Without looking up he paused to laugh and point at one of the Guardians fighting off an old woman trying to smack him over the head with her cane. "Did you see that? Did you? No?" He sighed. "You're no fun, Sakura."

"And you're a little old to be playing vigilante, _Sensei_," she shot back. But Sakura grinned, and Kakashi grinned, too.

Because playing vigilante at fifty-four was _very fun_.

Sakura huffed when she turned her head, green eyes narrowed against the sun. She'd grown beautifully, if Kakashi could say so. She was cut like a fighter. Enough muscle to go from stone-cold fox to I'm-going-to-murder-you-in-your-sleep in seconds. Kakashi could always appreciate that about a woman. There was a shadow of Tsunade in her, a ghost of her mentor, especially in the diamond on her forehead-a gift from Tsunade before she'd left to that last Kage meeting so many years ago. But Sakura's strength wasn't just in that diamond on her forehead, or the muscle in her arms. She needed that bout of strength, being a medic, still secretly a ninja in a village where ninja only existed on certain terms. A village that had stripped her of that title years ago. And he'd seen it on her-that strength of hers. He'd watched her little home-run clinic grow. Illegal, sure, when he'd helped her break in to the Hyuuga compound one night to treat an ill elder, but thriving. Now _Sakura _was a name the villagers in the streets knew when there was no one else to turn to.

Sakura's gaze had hardened into steel over the years, but Kakashi still found a softness beneath it. The girl he'd taken under his wing so many years ago. The girl who'd given her heart so foolishly and had to spend the war learning how to pick up the pieces of herself-how to grow up. Her face was more angular with age and shallow laugh lines that had never seen laughter, but it was a _lovely_ face.

She'd stopped wearing her hair cropped short; now it trailed down her back in a ponytail. He almost missed the short, choppy look of her teenage years-the look that used to spark something wild in her face during battle. If she noticed he was studying her, Sakura didn't care, or maybe she did and she would hit him for it later. If he was lucky, Kakashi would survive it. But Sakura didn't seem to be thinking about all the ways to murder Kakashi for the way his eye roamed over the shape of her legs. Kakashi tried remembering her as a stick-thin thirteen year-old to make the subtle pull of attraction disappear. It didn't work, so he imagined a creepily smiling Sai melting out of the shadows saying, _I know what you are thinking, Kakashi-sensei, and I do not appreciate it._ Now that was a scary thought!

Sakura was bobbing her foot to keep the baby on her hip entertained, but Kyosuke was having none of it. He pounded fat little fists on his mother's chest. Nap time, Kakashi supposed, and squinted against the sun. Being as pale as Sai, Kakashi figured it was time to take the little vampire back inside. (And he was grateful Sakura couldn't hear his thoughts, but he still smiled fondly at the fussy baby and stood to ruffle his hair, which Kyo tolerated with a watery frown). Sakura sighed, looking out to a boy with dull pink hair. He was running in the street with a gang of children, swarms of them that had suddenly broken away from the excited crowd. He had dark eyes. They were crinkled in a rare smile.

Shun was such a serious child. An old soul, some might say. So it always surprised Kakashi, just a little, to see the little runt laugh and act like a kid. He probably hung around his father too much. It would explain the overly polite side of him that made Kakashi slightly uncomfortable (Sakura practically preened off of it), like he was speaking to a little assassin in training. Shun had developed the creepy impulse to smile blandly when he couldn't think of anything to say, or had something to say but was much too polite (or smart) to say it.

Sai spawn. There's one for the books. Kakashi chuckled again. Now that had been interesting when, sixteen years ago, he'd come to discover the budding relationship of his old team. He'd watched the young couple slowly evolve from afar, and could remember brushing on thoughts and memories of two boys he used to know and hoped he'd see again. He would often wonder if they, too, had discovered a balance with each other. Sometimes he wondered about their child. Was this child as serious as Shun? Curious and cranky as Kyo? Or perhaps defiant, like Satsuki, Sakura and Sai's oldest?

Sometimes Kakashi feared he'd never find out. But that was before he'd resigned. Thrown it all away, unable to stomach it, and unable to leave.

Now Kakashi had been resorted to waiting behind the walls for his lucky day. Which just so happened to be this very day. He hummed a little, before flinching and jolting.

"NO HITTING!" Sakura yelled when one of the bullies of the impromptu play group slammed into Shun ("He didn't even stumble! Shun had it! Can't always go charging to his rescue. Let him handle it. He can do it," Kakashi pointed out, cursing and holding a hand to his heart. If things kept up like this, Sakura may kill him one day). Shun only smiled back at his attacker and said something to make the bully scamper away, looking both confused and intimidated….and downright scared when he passed Sakura.

"Little demons," she muttered, smiling when Shun ambled over. He took his mother's hand like a good little boy and greeted Kakashi with "uncle", which always made the retired jounin twitch, but he'd be a liar if he said he hadn't grown fond of the children over the years. Even the little vampire, who looked just like Sai and who never seemed to like Kakashi very much. Kakashi figured this because the baby was always throwing something at him, pulling his hair, climbing up him just to yell at him, or worse, spitting up on him. Shun had always just sat on his lap as a baby, content to chew on his sleeve, and the oldest, Satsuki, used to giggle at everything he did or said when she was that age. Maybe Kyo was just like that with everyone. Ten months old and already a cynic. Kakashi mourned the thought. Youth, he imagined Might Gai lament in tears (and it made him snicker), WASTED!

_He just has my temper_, Sakura had said once.

Bingo.

Then there was Satsuki.

"You seem to be missing one," Kakashi observed, to keep himself from looking to the right, as though he expected someone to round the street corner. No one did. Sakura noticed and followed his gaze. She sighed again.

"I know." Her face pinched. Sakura was still watching the corner.

"Sixteen and already a rebel, huh?" joked Kakashi, just to get a rise out of her. Sakura peeled her eyes away to scowl at him, repositioning Kyo, who whimpered and yelled at his mother before slumping against her chest and falling asleep.

It was a tough world.

"Ryou just got arrested for less," Sakura hissed, and Shun pretended he wasn't listening, but Kakashi knew he was. He determined, should things return to how they should and he was still alive and everything was left standing, that he would feel privileged to teach a boy like Shun. Kakashi could already see the potential in the seven year-old, brimming beneath his bright and calculating gaze. He only hoped it wasn't wasted, like Satsuki.

He turned to say something to Sakura, but that was when he saw the dog stepping out of the shadowed alley corner. Its ears perked at the sight of him. It had a limp, Kakashi noticed, and he felt his blood rush. He sprang to his feet. The dog wove through the crowds, the rallying villagers putting on a last-minute parade and march through Konoha's shopping district while the Guardians stood by warily. No one noticed the mutt. No one cared, because the Fire Lord was dead. When Kakashi looked back, Sakura and the children had already gone.

The dog limped past him, pausing to lick the torn pad in its paw. Kakashi's eye trailed past it.

"Found. And well," muttered the dog. "Two of them. There's a small one."

Kakashi said nothing, but his eye flicked to his companion in surprise before he resumed his usual bored look. The dog sat and scratched its ear.

"Fleas?" asked Kakashi.

"Hmph. Something's amiss. I can't shake it."

Kakashi's gut tightened. "Nothing goes smoothly for us, does it?" There were rumors. The Councilman from the Brotherhood had gone into hiding after Osamu's assassination. The protection for Osamu the Fifth, thirty years old that day, had been doubled.

"This village is making my fur stand on end. How do you stand it?" the dog growled.

Kakashi said nothing for a while. He scanned the crowd. Some stared back at him before turning away. "Go back. Make sure they get here safely."

"What do you take me for?" grumbled his companion. "I was just returning to report."

The dog rose to its feet, and trotted down an alley. When Kakashi turned the corner, it had disappeared.

* * *

><p>By the pond near the house the old farmer knew, a boy made a deal with a devil.<p>

Nights before the Fire Lord had been murdered in his sleep, a boy the world would come to know slipped out of his bedroom window and flitted through the forest, away from the prying, caring eyes of the fathers he loved, from the little sister he'd sworn to protect, from the walls that he'd once found comforting. The evening was young. A blush under the heavy sun, and beneath the cool shadows of the forest canopy, the afternoon warmth still lingered, like night would never come.

But night always came.

There was something different about Minato. His steps were heavy, his gray eyes were distant, as far away as his thoughts. A branch snapped. Lightning quick, he flicked his wrist, sending a shuriken star into the air to pin the unruly squirrel above. The forest quieted.

He used the squirrels as target practice as he loped through the shadows to Enma's pond. He had an eye streak going before he missed and struck one in the neck. He cursed, but fell silent when he saw the pond, abandoning his morbid game.

The surface was still as glass, just as he remembered it, just as it always had been and always would be. Minato stood frozen, alert, as if Enma might appear and sit with him, saying, "Talk. Relax." But Enma didn't appear, and Minato's mood soured. Days had gone by. He'd gone to the funeral. He'd endured the broken look on Natsumi's face. He'd held Ai's hand when she wouldn't speak and patted Takeo's shoulder, pretending the boy wasn't crying because Takeo didn't want anyone to see his tears.

Minato had taken the heavy hand Hiro had placed on his shoulder, so heavy Minato had still felt its weight when the old farmer left him to stand alone at the grave.

Then one day, suddenly, they were gone. Minato had heard a rumor about them moving off the mountain from Kotori, the merchant's daughter. When he'd gone to check, he'd paused by the side of the dirt road, heart in his throat.

Fire Nation Guardian nin. A band of five.

The door was flung open. The kitchen window broken, shards still clinging to the frame. Minato heard something break. Someone laughed. Someone else began to cry, a high pitched wail strung tight in the humid evening air. Yet another began to beg. Down the road, a farmer and his son had paused by the tall grass to watch, their cart forgotten in the dirt.

"Clear," said a masked nin, stepping onto the porch. Minato took a step forward, and the nin looked up to stare at him from behind the glassy black eyes of his rooster mask. He drizzled gasoline on the porch without turning his head. A hot gust of wind rushed forward with the stink, and Minato took another step.

"No." A hand was gripping his shoulder, holding him firmly into place. Minato looked back at the farmer. It was a face he didn't know, a tanned face, a hard face, but he could see the boy skulking behind, wide-eyed, afraid, curious. A part of the farmer Minato couldn't see.

"Don't make trouble for yourself." The farmer patted his shoulder with a sigh and turned away to scold his son for creeping too close to the Kobayashi house. Minato watched him take his child firmly by the shoulders.

"You get along now," said the farmer to Minato. "I'm sure your parents'll want you home."

Minato suddenly realized how very alone he was on the road.

The corners of his eyes burned, and Minato blinked, looking away. The Guardian nin had forgotten his audience. He lit a match.

Minato watched the Kobayashi house burn until the sky bled red.

When dusk fell, and the farmer had disappeared down the road, Minato watched a huddled group of missing nin march down the road, hands bound, heads bent. They'd been caught in the Kobayashi's basement, the farmer had told him. Arrested for treason. All that conspiracy against the government bullshit.

A man in the back stumbled, fell, his chin scraping along the rough surface of the dirt road and the pebbles beneath until his skin bled. When he looked up, he looked at Minato. Minato stared back.

"Get up. Up!" A Guardian twisted the prisoner's binds until he cursed, yanking him upright by the wrists. Another glance, another stumble, and Minato began to wonder if he'd seen the man before.

"Hey, hey kid!"

The Guardian with the rooster mask was staring at him, annoyed, finished with the day. His voice broke, clipped off near the end with his shout, and Minato was struck by the realization that the fool couldn't be any older than he was.

"Nothing to see here. Go. Home." The Rooster laced his words with a hidden threat, an imposing stance that Minato could see the flaws in with one bored, sweeping glance. His fingers tapped restlessly against his hip.

But Minato hadn't argued. It wasn't the time to argue. It was getting late, and if he didn't hurry, someone else would be walking up the road, calling for him. Minato turned away to follow the road north up the mountain. It was then, when he could see the shadow of his home looming in the dark, that he remembered the face of the prisoner. He'd seen him once before. Some faraway time when Enma had introduced them. He couldn't even remember what they had said to each other. Minato watched him as he led down the road.

But it wasn't just this one face Minato remembered. It was many. It was Enma and his family. It was the orphan Minato remembered from the summer he was nine, who'd snuck into the Academy at the mountain base to learn and escape, only to be arrested later for impersonation. No one ever knew what happened to that kid.

It was everyone.

When Minato reached the door that night, he could smell miso soup. He could hear his fathers singing with his sister, together in the kitchen, and he could have been dreaming, watching watercolors slide and move across a painting as it built a picture he wished existed.

Then Father noticed him and the spell was broken. Dad tossed a hearty "get in here, kid, before the soup's gone!" over his shoulder and Mikoto ran to open the door. Minato stepped inside.

He didn't look back to the road. Later, when the smoke climbed past the trees, his fathers would call him into the living room, pull the curtains, and played pi-sho until Mikoto fell asleep in Father's lap, lulled by their betting and banter. Dad led Minato to his room, a firm hand on his shoulder.

Nothing happened for days.

Not the day after. Or the next day. Or the day after that. At night Minato would remember. He would remember the clearing. He would remember how Enma was swallowed by fire, and how he'd almost killed his Father. A fear so horrible it burned his chest would ignite in him. He'd watch his hands until he fell asleep, as though he'd miss it if he didn't stare long enough.

But nothing ever happened. Not the day after. Not two days after. Or the third or fourth day.

Enma had been dead for nearly two weeks when it happened.

It had been a terrible morning. It began with rain and lightning storms. Dreams of yellow eyes and dripping teeth hovering over his head. Minato had felt like a mouse caught in the claws of a cat. Lightning shattered the sky, and Minato had woken with a jolt. He woke to darkness, a burning throat, and cold sweat. Somewhere, Mikoto began to cry, and he could hear Dad's heavy footfalls, heard him curse when he bumped into something, as he wandered through the hall. He heard the door to Mikoto's room open, snap shut, and Dad's low voice rumble through the early morning gloom.

"It's okay, I got you."

He listened for a little while. Waited until he could no longer hear Mikoto's shuddering breaths, and Dad trudged back to his room. He started to snore, and still Minato laid awake. Lightning flashed again, and not long after, Minato's door opened, and Mikoto wriggled into his bed to latch onto his side. Sleepily, he'd trudged into his parents' room to drop her there, but instead, he'd fallen asleep with them.

He dreamed.

Minato dreamed of a voice that hissed and said, _It is because you have my heart. Open it. End this wretchedness_.

He dreamed of steel and woke alone, next to Mikoto, the rain falling in a light whisper. He heard the front door open, his fathers talking in low voices. When they appeared in the doorway, Minato watched them closely.

"Today's your lucky day, kid," said Dad suddenly, and the smile he wore was grim. Minato's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Get your things," Father finished for him. "We're leaving the mountain. Today. We want you ready by dusk."

And so the day passed in a flurry of activity. Of Mikoto whining and complaining because she didn't want to clean her room (Minato didn't blame her. It was a mess).

"I don't need anything but Miki anyway!" she'd cried.

And Minato packed everything in a knapsack neatly. He dropped it in an empty corner of his room and looked at it there. And suddenly something inside began to itch. Tick away like a clock, and he couldn't stand still any longer, packing everything away so neatly until it seemed the room hadn't been his at all. It was funny, he thought. He should have been excited.

Isn't this what he'd wanted?

Minato slipped out the window with a, "I'm going, be back later!" tossed quickly over his shoulder. The sun was sinking low.

"We'll be done in a couple hours. Don't wait until it gets dark," Dad called back.

Minato didn't answer. He only ran.

That fateful evening, Minato plopped down by Enma's pond and thought of his Dad. The night after Enma died, he'd whispered _I hate them. I hate them._ _He didn't deserve to die that way_, and Dad had sat at the foot of his bed, looking worn and tired, as if he carried the brunt of his son's anger on his shoulders and the weight had grown heavier than he'd expected. Later, Minato would guess he had carried it; all of it. But then, that evening, it only made Minato angrier.

"I know it's hard," Dad said quietly, placing a gentle hand on Minato's shoulder.

He said it like he'd known firsthand, as if he had lived this very scenario himself, but Minato didn't know how Dad could know anything, when it seemed he and Father never left the mountain Minato was born on. They were quiet people (sometimes), who enjoyed quiet things and ate too much ramen and tomatoes. When he was younger he used to admire the way his fathers noticed everything, how they stopped for tiny miracles everyone else walked past every day without care; or how they noticed the slightest change in the wind, or how the number of birds on the side of the road had increased without looking back, as if the birds were watching and they _knew_. Now, Minato wasn't sure how he felt. So Minato hadn't said anything. He was too angry to speak.

There was the demon locked away in Dad, "the family secret", and Father's Sharingan, but beyond that, he didn't see how they could know much of anything at all if all they had ever done was hide and live quietly on the mountain.

Thoughts of his parents turned into thoughts of just his Father, and Minato frowned, remembering the bounty hunter and the way he'd spat the name _Uchiha_ like a dirty cuss word. There had been moments Minato wanted to ask about it, but he never could once Father turned to listen. So he tucked the name away along with another name he'd once forgotten: Sasuke.

His chest felt too tight, and his fingers twitched with a spasm. He needed to move. Do something, Sitting so still almost hurt. Nearly burned.

Angry with what he didn't know, and angry because Enma was never going to sit at the pond and talk to him again, Minato began a new game. Dad had finally begun to show him the wonders of shape and nature manipulation, and in his palm, Minato gathered wind.

But today he wanted to do more. He experimented with it, just to take the edge off. He wondered, since Dad could condense the energy and mold it until it formed the shape of a shuriken, if maybe he could add his own spin to it.

Ten minutes later the energy he'd gathered exploded, unstable. He was off; he'd handled it too boldly and not cautiously enough, and he'd paid for it. Minato bit back a scream. The energy had torn into his arm, flaying him open from wrist to shoulder, and if he looked he could see veins, bone. Minato cursed, sick, stumbling blindly into the pond in an attempt to walk away. He fell. The water burned. It seared. He watched the water turn red with bleary eyes. Everything seemed to swim together until all he could see was blood-murky water. Above him, the sun was sinking, shadows shrinking the fire-red hues away.

And that was when, after years of being there but never really being there at all, it started.

It started with a whisper.

_Minato_…

It called to him as he bit out harsh orders to the one clone he'd managed to create, but it disappeared, too drunk off its creators pain, to stay solid.

_Minato_…

He knew this voice. Because it had called to him once as he slept. He watched his arm slowly pull itself back together. Minato cried out in pain and shuddered.

_Minato_…

He remembered dreams of foxes running through the wheat. Nights where he woke too warm and afraid of something he couldn't remember. Minato would dream of a different him bursting free through his chest, leaving Mintao to die on his bed while the new Minato cackled and sped away. He'd wake gasping and cold. When he was younger, he would need to creep into his fathers' bed in order to sleep again.

He shook his head, groaning in pain.

Then he felt the heat in his chest, and Minato gasped, splashing clumsily in the water, trying to get away, away, from what he didn't know. He imagined his chest butterflied open, because surely it was splitting from the burning heat, just like in his dreams.

The fear came back. He squeezed his eyes shut.

_Minato…_

Minato tripped over rocks jutting out of the pond's sandy bottom, and fell into the water face first. But when he surfaced, he did not see the sky. Or the trees. Or the pond. Minato saw only red, teeth, and steel.

His eyes watered from the fetid heat that gusted past the demon's jaws, its teeth pressed against its steel prison.

It stank like wildfire, like brimstone. It burned.

Minato stared, frozen in place, floating in a stinking pool. He could feel that terrible rip and roar in his chest; that sinking, unbridled feeling of something inside him waiting to burst right out of his skin. It crippled him, and for a moment he was too stunned to be afraid. The demon grinned. Minato trembled, but he didn't move, or run, or look away. He didn't try to.

_"So you have come at last,"_ the demon rumbled.

Minato swallowed, urging his muscles to move, move, until he slowly pulled free from the lock in his own muscles. He stood, slipping before rising to his full height, wondering where the depth of the water had gone. He didn't answer. When he was small, Father had told him some demons spoke in riddles. Minato wasn't very good at riddles, which had always irritated him. Minato bit his tongue. Tried to think rationally. He cast a curious glance to the seal pinned to the prison bars. The sight jolted him, like it was something he knew but had forgotten. The fox salivated. Its hunger rushed to the floor to join the pool Minato waded in. Its eyes followed the path of the boy's gaze.

_"Do you know what it is?"_ asked the beast.

Minato looked it in the eye. He wondered if the fox was like a wild animal: something that attacked if you looked it in the eye. A shiver crawled up his spine. For a long moment, he was quiet.

"What will you tell me if I say no?"

The fox laughed. _"You don't trust the wisdom of a being as ancient as I?"_

"I think," said Minato slowly, "if you were as wise as you say, you'd do whatever you could to persuade me to get you out of here." He pointed at the steel. The fox licked its teeth in thought.

_"Oho, you're just as much of a brat as your father."_

Minato felt himself gain a little courage. "Which one?"

The demon hissed out a laugh. _"Smart-ass whelp."_ It pulled back from the steel, melting into the shadow of its cage until there was nothing but the gleam of its eyes, bobbing in the dark.

"_But there is something about you...something you do not share with them," _sighed the fox, and it loomed closer to its steel bars until the tip of its snout pressed through the cracks. it drooled.

Minato took a step back, frowning.

"_I had not imagined that you would be afraid."__  
><em>

Minato' stared at it impassively, something he'd seen Father do over and over again when he did not want to betray how he really felt. "You don't frighten me."

The fox laughed. "_Don't i?" _It swayed behind its cage, clutched at its steel bars and let its claws drag down the metal with a terrible screech. Minato's stomach dropped, but he did not waver.

"_But t__here is something you and I yet share."_

Minato grimaced. "We are nothing alike."

"_Aren't we?" _laughed the fox again, and it huffed a burning breath of air that scalded Minato's cheeks. His eyes watered. The pool rushed at his knees in agitated waves. In its waves, he could suddenly see flashes of Enma, his face bursting in the bubbles. He clenched his teeth. Trembled.

_"They never did tell you what to expect did they? They must have thought they were _protecting_ you during these terrible times. Poor, pitiful, humans. Your world continues to rot beneath you."_

Minato said nothing, but he found himself taking a step closer. He thought of the secrets his parents kept so closely, and wondered what the fox meant. What it would say next, what it could possibly know about _him. _His heart beat harder, faster, and an old anger bubbled in his gut.

_"Tell me what ails you,"_ said the fox, "_what frightens you."_ Minato frowned. His heartbeat quickened.

"I don't-"

_"Do not stand before a god and lie to me."_

Minato sneered. "You are no god."

He saw the harsh outline of its smile seconds before it spoke, a Cheshire wink in the dark. It laughed. _"Perhaps you are right. I am _older _than any of your gods. Tell me, if I cannot see right into your very soul,"_ it began, and Minato shivered. "_what cancer eats away at you while you sleep."_

"I'm leaving," said Minato abruptly, too quickly, but then the demon began to speak.

"_You cannot leave it behind," _raged the beast, but still Minato turned.

"_Tell me, Minato! Answer me!" _And the waves rose higher, and Minato could hear Enma's voice in their crashes. He paused, letting a wave rush over him, just to see the face in the waves. Something old and primal caught his heart. He let out an anguished shout.

_"I cannot be cleansed. I cannot be cooled. Stronger than fire, hold me and I'll eat you, do not be fooled. What am I?"_

The hairs on the back of Minato's neck stood on end, and suddenly he knew: all that awaited him here in this cell was something far more sinister and frightening than he'd ever known. A chill ghosted over his skin in a cold rush. Pure, unbridled panic. He had to leave, or face something worse. He could remember his father's face, and Dad's, chastising him for not listening, for daydreaming during meditation.

"_Listen, kid," _Dad had said. "_You'll need it one day."_

Minato counted the beats of his heart. He closed his eyes and he tried to imagine an exit, but when he looked, there was none. He stumbled away, slapping his palms against the walls of the prison, as though sheer will might conjure up a door. He tried to remember the meditating lessons he'd taken with Dad, all those times he'd fallen asleep or hadn't listened because he figured none of it could be that important anyway. He closed his eyes.. He felt like he was ten again: striking Tsuki in the eye, and feeling that terrible panic, that something black that crawled over his skin and through his chest. Behind him, the demon's eyes burned, and swirled, like fire.

"LET ME OUT!" And he _was_ ten again. Running, running, from Tsuki's terrible eye.

_"What am I, Minato?"_

He could scarcely breathe, and Minato spat ragged words, fearing to look over his shoulder. He slapped both palms on the wall, leaning towards it. It didn't move. Nothing happened.

"Nothing. You're nothing."

_"What dark things do you hide away at night? Keep preciously close so you will not lose its luster?"_

"Leave me alone."

Minato didn't need meditation. He didn't need to relax. He needed out.

"_You know the answer,_" said the demon, and Minato hurried along the wall, frantic. He tripped in the demon's stinking pool.

"No. No. No, no!" He was beating the wall now, the muffled thuds of his fists loud and echoing. The pool at his feet suddenly began to swirl, and he paused to look. It bubbled until it rose like a fountain of spray, and from its mist, a figure reached out to clasp Minato by the shoulders. Minato sucked in a breath through his teeth and swallowed his heart.

The Kyuubi growled as Enma's apparition leaned in close to murmur in Minato ear.

_"I am Hate."_

_..._

* * *

><p>"Where is Minato?"<p>

Naruto wandered into the kitchen, haphazardly throwing bunched clothing into a knapsack. Kosuke, the toad, squatted on a kitchen counter, tongue lashing out to wrap around the bag once it hit the floor. He swallowed it with a loud belch. Mikoto had wrapped herself around Naruto's waist as he moved, whining about her room. He continued on with his task with the practiced ease of a patient parent. Mikoto had grown bored of her little game with Kosuke, trying to stuff as many toys and clothes as she could down the toad's throat. Kosuke wasn't complaining.

Naruto distractedly placed her on the kitchen counter, running quick fingers through her hair.

"Just gimme a minute. Almost done. Did you finish your room?"

Mikoto pulled a face. "Do we have to go? I don't want to clean my room anymore! I think Kosuke might throw up if I feed him more." As if on cue, Kosuke keeled over from the counter he was squatting on, landing face first on the linoleum. He groaned before flopping miserably onto his back. Mikoto giggled, and, after eliciting no reaction from the toad after poking his bulging belly (Kosuke smartly played dead), she grew bored once more and began to hum while Naruto turned his attention to the remaining contents of the fridge. She held Miki up high, trying to swat at the moths fluttering over her head. Naruto paused to look to the door.

Evening was fast approaching, and with each second that trickled by, Naruto grew more restless. He could feel it prickle his skin, bite a hole in his stomach. On the kitchen counter, Mikoto began to sing, swinging her feet, some old kid's song Sasuke had taught her. One Sasuke remembered his mother singing when he was small. The back door was left open, wide like a yawn, sucking in the damp heat and insects. Naruto turned his head to watch Sasuke finish boarding the kitchen window over the sink. Their eyes met before he placed the final board.

Naruto remembered that afternoon spent in the rain, so close and tight, and Sasuke's hand reaching for his own to clamp over his wrist when the dog had disappeared down the road, and in a grim voice had said, "Guess it's time."

Naruto had looked at him then, and slowly, laced his own fingers with Sasuke's. It was a promise. It had always been a promise; the road where their fates had meant to travel down with the conception of Minato, with the death of the Konoha elders, with the end of the war they both still dreamed about at night. They had turned back to the little house they had restored together so many years ago, to the little daughter and grown son they had inside, and Naruto had felt a grave sort of bravery grip his heart.

It was time to leave the mountain. The wait was over.

Soon, he hoped, _soon_, Minato and Mikoto would never have to live in fear and isolation for who they were. They would never have to leave pieces of their ancestry behind, never known, never felt. They would _know._

Naruto locked eyes with Sasuke from the kitchen window, and Sasuke walked up to board it, but not before his eyes said everything he could not say then, and Naruto leaned back to let the board patch up the window.

It was all he needed.

Mikoto began to sing.

"Mori no fukuro ga iimashita, watashi wa mori no mihari yaku."

_The forest owl said_

_I am the guardian of the forest_

Naruto swept a glance over the kitchen and living room, more at ease, but beginning to feel the creeping kind of sadness that came with leaving a home. Soon, it would look as though ghosts had taken up residence. Everything would stay, but everyone would be gone. Nothing would be left but the spirit of the house, and the children it had once held.

Minato was still missing.

Mikoto sang, "Kowai okami-!"

_Fearsome wolves-!_

Naruto closed the fridge, wandering out back to the back porch. "Minato!" he called, leaning against the railing, looking over to where Sasuke was watching the trees. An owl cried, a cricket chirped; it all hung low and stagnant in the summer heat while Mikoto sang. No one answered. Sasuke let his hammer drop. He lifted the bandana that covered his blind eye to swipe at the sweat that had gathered there. He opened it wide, and it burned back bright and sightless, like the moon.

Kosuke hopped out onto the porch to croak, "Last I saw, he was headed down the deer path in the wood." Naruto nodded, looking away, but Sasuke gently caught his arm. Ahead, the forest shivered with a hot breeze.

"It's alright, he knows to be back before nightfall-"

"Kitsune nado-!"

_and Kitsune and the like! _Mikoto cried over her father's words, still singing.

Naruto shook his head. "He should be back by now-"

"-Kosasenai kara ne ne shina!"

_Won't be allowed to come near so sleep, sleep!_ Mikoto belted out, twirling Miki in the air and watching her fathers through the door.

Sasuke eyed the treeline. "Minato!" He waited a moment before his fingers blurred with quick hand seals. Naruto watched. Waited. When Sasuke looked up and his hands curled at his sides, Naruto grimaced.

"Dammit," Naruto cursed.

Mikoto spun and yelled, "THAT'S A BAD WORD!"

Sasuke sighed. "That's right, baby, don't repeat it." Then he leaned in close to say, "He couldn't have gone far-"

Mikoto continued her song. "GOROSUKE HOOOOO!"

"He knows we're leaving." The nervous pit in Naruto's stomach returned. It gaped wider, irritating him.

"HOOOOOO!" sang Mikoto loudly.

Naruto crossed his arms, Sasuke's hand firm on his shoulder. It crept up his shoulder, gently clasping the base of his neck. Naruto tried to regain his thoughts through the chatter, the noise.

"HOOOOOO!"

So close. They were so close to leaving the mountain. How long had it been since he'd seen beyond it?

"HOOOOO!" Mikoto yelled, wandering outside.

Sasuke's face pinched. "Naruto, I'm sure he's fine-"

Naruto pulled away from him. "MINATO!"

"GOROSUKE _HOOOOOO_!"

"Mikoto!" Naruto chastised, turning sharply. His voice died, and with it, the night quieted.

Mikoto had stopped singing. She hugged Miki close, small and shivering under the porch light, under the shadow of the figure looming by the porch railing. Mikoto was looking up at her brother, wide-eyed, silent. Minato stood in the dark, away from the light that spilled from the house, hunched and crooked, his shadow tall and reaching, as crooked as the boy it stretched from.

Naruto frowned. "Where have you been?" He jumped onto the porch. Minato watched him and said nothing. Sasuke resumed collecting the spare planks of wood, but Naruto noticed how he'd slowed, listening.

"Around," Minato bit out, his gaze pivoting toward his little sister. Mikoto took a step back and looked up, as if the entirety of Minato couldn't fit in her line of sight.

Naruto scowled, wondering if the sky had gotten any darker. It looked darker. Minato had been gone too long.

"Yeah? Well, you could have stuck around and helped get the rest of your stuff together. We have to go."

Minato fixed him with a glare Naruto returned stubbornly, before Naruto shook his head, sighing. He rubbed at his face, as though his hand could smooth away the stress.

There wasn't time for this.

"C'mon, kid, we're running late."

"For what?" challenged Minato, and he stood a little straighter, eyes bright. "I'm not a kid anymore, Dad. You got something to say, say it."

Taken aback by his son's venom, Naruto paused. Mikoto streaked across the porch to pin herself behind Naruto with a cry of "Hide me!" He distractedly patted her head.

"What's wrong?"

Minato chuckled dryly, running his fingers along the porch railing. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Naruto watched him closely, noticing the quick jerks of Minato's movements, the steady rumble of anger in his words. He held up a hand in mock surrender.

Naruto thought he understood. He'd never not been able to understand the root of his child's anger before. He wouldn't admit there were times, far and in between and happening now, that he was wary. Worried. Unable to grasp the full meaning, like he was missing part of the picture Minato had drawn.

"I know it's hard-"

Minato rolled his eyes, moving away from him. "Dad, come on, don't talk me down."

"I'm not, I'm not."

"You're being mean, Minato," Mikoto babbled. Naruto patted her head again to shush her. Minato ignored her.

"You are!" Minato accused, and he trembled. "You think you can just get me to follow you when you never tell me half the shit that's really going on-"

"Minato." Naruto wondered if everything he'd ever feared about being a father was beginning to bite him in the ass, strike him down where he stood.

Mikoto clamped her hands over her ears. "Minato! Stop saying bad words!"

"Shut _up_, Mikoto!" Minato snarled. Mikoto shrank away, eyes wet.

"What has gotten into you?!" And then the house wasn't so quiet anymore, even with all the ghosts waiting to be left behind. Not with Naruto's raised voice vaulting over the property in his anger. Not with Minato slicing a vindictive hand through the air and snarling something about "stop lying to me" while Mikoto succumbed to loud tears.

In the silence behind them, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

"That's enough!"

All talk ceased, and Mikoto tore away from Naruto, burying her face in Sasuke's thigh. Sasuke leveled Minato with a hard stare. Naruto tried to quell the doubt surging in his chest.

He couldn't help the second glance over his shoulder. There was nothing to see but the trees. He looked back to the porch.

Sasuke had had enough, and Naruto saw this little family he'd built divide. Minato stood alone, and Naruto wanted to reach out to him.

Minato pushed his hand away as Sasuke rattled on.

"-eighteen now. You want us to treat you like an adult? _Act_ like one."

"Who's Uchiha Sasuke?" asked Minato suddenly. Naruto cocked an eyebrow, for once at a loss for words. Sasuke's face twisted.

Naruto reached for Sasuke's wrist, but Sasuke either didn't notice or didn't care. "Where'd you hear that name?"

"Hold on-"

"You name's not really Akira, is it?" accused Minato. "All my life that's been your name, but it isn't who you are at all!"

Naruto counted five heartbeats. Five heartbeats before someone spoke.

"Where-?" Naruto asked finally, voice lodging in his throat, but Sasuke cut him off. Mikoto watched, a spectator to something she didn't understand.

"If there's something I haven't told you about my past, it's because I have a damn good reason," Sasuke gritted out.

Minato barked out a caustic laugh. "Yeah, okay." He turned his back to his family, running both hands through his hair. He gripped the strands and stood like that for a moment, like a man afraid that once he let go, he'd just turn around to see something worse.

"Minato-" Naruto tried.

"You're even worse!" Minato shouted, jabbing a finger at Naruto. It hurt, oddly. Like someone was reaching into his chest and dragging a nail over his bones. Naruto swallowed. Sasuke's hand gripped his shoulder, the tips of his fingers digging into skin. He could feel anger beneath it all. It rattled him.

"You act like you know all this crap, like you know what it's like, but ever since I've been alive I've never seen you leave this mountain. I've never seen you fight for anything! All you do is hide! You're a coward!"

Naruto's stomach hollowed out. Sasuke's fingers dug deeper.

"If you knew half the things he sacrificed just to keep you safe-"

"It's alright-" Naruto muttered, numb, too tired to be angry.

"No," Sasuke snarled, "It's not."

Minator ignored them. "At least Enma was going to do something. He believed in something. What do any of you believe in?"

"Everything we've ever done, we've done it to keep you alive-!" Sasuke cried.

"Let him be."

Sasuke whipped his head towards Naruto, face pale with anger. Naruto braced a firm, comforting grip on the back of Sasuke's neck. Beneath Sasuke's skin, he could feel the surge of his lover's heartbeat, the pulse of his blood running hot and angry.

"Minato," Naruto began carefully, but he didn't get to finish. A howl split the night, and from the road, a dog hurried across the lawn. Naruto froze, that terrible sense of dread creeping icily over his skin. Sasuke grabbed Mikoto by the waist to place her deep in darker shadow behind him. Minato's eyes narrowed.

The dog limped into the lamplight, a wolf-faced mutt. It sat in the grass to bleed by the porch. Blood dripped from its jaws. Mikoto whimpered, and Naruto scooped her up quickly.

He cursed, inching closer. Sasuke's left eye was already spinning, scanning the trees behind them, with Minato rigid and tall beside him.

"Five minutes," wheezed the dog when Naruto kneeled before it. "You have….five minutes. Maybe less. Wasn't...quick enough to return. It's come. It's come!"

"What has?" Naruto wondered. The dog grinned in a way only a dog could, baring yellowed teeth.

"Revolution," growled the dog. "Our time is _now_. But something sinister comes. I can smell it. I can feel it. I'm running from it." It snarled suddenly, clenched and trembling. "Take your pups. Leave this place. Now. Never look back. Kakashi will be awaiting your return. I...I cannot come with you."

Naruto nodded once and called for Kosuke, who was at his side in a blink. From across the lawn, he met Sasuke's eye.

Sasuke's good eye spun, and Naruto could almost feel the way his gaze raked over his skin. Knew its intent, its urgency. Sasuke turned away to look back at the trees. He stood too tall. Too stiff. Naruto gripped Mikoto tighter. He suddenly realized how small she was in his arms.

Naruto adjusted Mikoto, raising her up on his shoulders. She gripped his neck too tight.

"Time to go."

* * *

><p><strong>Preview "The Wanderers Part 2: The Black Fox"<strong>

_Thieves_, hissed the fox as Minato stepped lightly onto the porch. Mikoto was singing. He'd forgotten his shoes again, because he could feel the rough wood beneath his feet.

_Stolen half your life, boy. Hidden it from you. _And Minato could feel it, feel the energy of the fox, as if it was gliding over his skin in a coil_. Taken pieces of who you are so you would never rise to become more than what you already are._

Sweat beaded on his brow. His upper lip. His heart, he thought in a sudden wild panic, was going to burst. His family, he thought, was a lie.

* * *

><p>AN (November 10): I just realized the scene with Minato and the Kyuubi kind of reminds me of Teen Wolf's scene with Stiles an the Nogitsune. This was not intentional, and it hit me today. It's bothering me. I thought I could wait to change it, but I couldn't. I put more of a spin on it, elaborated a little more on the demon's thought process, and paralleled Minato's fears to the demon, and his hate that he knows he harbors.


	44. Wanderers part 2

_The Wanderers pt. 2_

_"The Black Fox"_

A war was raging in Minato's head.

Minato hated war.

And another part of him, a new part, a dark part, loved it all the same.

He couldn't say how long it had been since he fell in the lake. Maybe it had been hours, or only minutes, since he had felt his feet glide over the rough wood on the porch. Minato didn't know.

He couldn't remember.

He didn't really care that he couldn't remember, and he didn't really care because there was something _alive_ in Minato that night. Something that kept the war in his head loud and riveting. Something that kept his heart pumping harder, faster, than it should have.

Minato did remember Enma's voice in his ear. He remembered the fox, half its face eclipsed in shadow. It had rumbled like a god.

He remembered reaching out to it, and the anger that lanced through him like a needle after. It was sharp and unrelenting. He couldn't soften its bite.

And oh, it hurt.

_Thieves_, the fox had hissed as Minato stepped lightly onto the porch. Mikoto was singing, he noticed. He'd forgotten his shoes again, because he could feel the rough wood beneath his feet.

_Stolen half your life, boy. Hidden it from you_.

And Minato could feel the energy of the fox, as if it were gliding over his skin in a coil.

_Taken pieces of who you are so you would never rise to become more than what you already are_.

Sweat beaded on Minato's brow. His upper lip. His heart, he thought in a sudden wild panic, was going to burst. His family, he thought, was a lie. and that was when his little sister saw him. And maybe Mikoto could feel this new raw pain and this terrible hate ebbing off him in little black eddies to float away into the night. It's how he felt.

Angry.

Everything hurt.

Minato was angry. He was angry because he'd never been allowed to go to school. He'd watched Enma go, and grow, to become someone he only daydreamed about. Someone he envied most days and despised the rest, just for all the things he could do that Minato couldn't. He was angry because, for an entire summer, he'd actually believed his fathers had found him on the side of the road. He was angry because Dad hadn't trusted that he could handle the fox inside of him. He'd waited until Minato was "old enough" to get it.

Minato was angry because Enma was dead. He was angry because he had envied him, and some days he'd despised him, and the rest of those days he had loved him. He was angry because the Guardians had burned the Kobayashi house to the ground when half-starved rogue nin fell asleep in the basement, trying to find a place to rest for the night.

"They were conspiring," the Guardian had said.

Nowadays, Minato had heard Father sneer at once, nin are never what they could be. And maybe Father had been right, because the rogues hadn't been too hard to catch.

Minato was angry at the fox, who tickled his ear. Whispered. Laughed. Minato stood still and listened to it. Mikoto stopped singing. Everyone turned to look at him.

_Where were you?_ asked his Dad. _Where were you?_ Father asked, but not aloud. Minato could see the question in his one eye. And suddenly everyone in the backyard was staring at him. Waiting for him to say something. They kept waiting for him to say he was ready to go.

His fathers were smug, Minato thought, weren't they? Because they'd controlled him for so long. Hadn't they? They had kept him in the house. Away from the rest of the world. Kept him from questioning or knowing anything at all. Growing at a pace they could handle.

There was an angry buzz in Minato's blood. He could still feel Enma's ghost, and for a split second, a night shadow blown by the wind made him flinch. The fox tickled his ear from the black place in his heart where it was kept in waiting. The world was a spinning blur, full of shadows and dark things, and it only spat lies and half-truths. His Father's voice grated on his ears.

_What truth have they ever told you? When they kept their names from you? When they kept your sister from you, like a naive babe?_

Father was angry. And Minato could remember a handful of times he'd made him make this particular face. The face where he went pale, like his anger sucked all the blood out of his face, and the way his lip kind of curled like something wild about to growl.

When Minato was younger, that face used to scare him. When Father made that face, Minato listened. He stopped saying whatever he was saying, because obviously, there was something wrong with it.

Now, it made him grin.

There was a war raging in Minato's head, and this new part of him ached for it.

Minato shook his head, and suddenly the world seemed to right. The night cleared and it was piercing, cooler than he'd thought. The dog on the porch was vivid and bleeding. The fox quieted. Everything hurt a little less. His thoughts curled away until the roar in his head became a whisper, and that whisper shrank away behind the bars it lived behind. The anger began to abate. Just a little, and he felt like a hot coal that had been thrown away to smoke and cool.

He passed by the dog, trailing after his fathers, wiping the sweat from his lip. The dog whimpered and tried to lick a torn a pad on its paw. Its ears pricked as Minato's passed, and Minato stopped beside it. He wondered if he had whispered everything he'd thought, even though he knew he hadn't. The dog's nostrils widened, and it snarled. Minato stared at it, lip curled, mildly surprised. He wondered what it saw. The dog's lips pulled back from its teeth, and for a moment, Minato wondered if it might bite him.

"_Stupid_ pup," raged the dog. "What have you done?" Minato stared at it.

"Minato!"

"What have you done?" whispered the dog, and Minato bent close to look at it.

"What have I done?" he asked quietly, and he knew his eyes were spinning, bleeding red. The dog growled low, hunched close to the ground, ears flat.

"Minato!"

The dog curled into itself the longer it stared at him, a snarl bubbling into a startled yelp before tucking its head between its paws, eyes closed. Minato stepped away.

His fathers were calling for him. Mikoto was staring at him from Dad's shoulders, her little hands cupping his Adam's apple, her chin in his hair. She looked at Minato in a way that might have unnerved him earlier. Her face slack-in that emotionless mask she wore whenever she thought too hard. It was that face, thought Minato, that made her look older than she really was. Like she knew things other people didn't.

Minato stared back at her.

And that was when, as Father turned to shout, calling for Minato, that the dog summon suddenly seized. Minato turned, and it felt slow, so slow.

He turned and the dog's throat began to swell. Its eyes bulged. It screamed. A rat burst through its skin, and Minato was too stunned to care about the blood that sprayed his feet.

An enemy summon.

It was the largest rat Minato had ever seen. It looked up at him with pink eyes and blood-matted fur to say, "So this is the little demon."

Then it began to grow.

Minato's eyes spun, he reached for a shuriken star on his belt, releasing a burst of pure wind energy along it. Still unable to contain it as neatly as his dad, the energy blazed forth with a wild, fierce strength. When Minato swung it, the rat moved with unnatural speed, twitching and dodging, kicking up shreds of grass and dirt with its claws. The shuriken shot through a boarded up window, slicing clean through the railing on the porch.

It should have been the rat's head.

But by then, his fathers were there. Father, with Chidori. Dad, with rasengan, and Kosuke, whose cheeks were already swelling with the onslaught of a water jet. Mikoto was quiet and pale on the road.

"GO! GET YOUR SISTER!" Father screamed wildly, the screech of his lightning nearly drowning his voice. He leaped, and struck. Dad barreled ahead on the side, all brute strength and speed. The rat's tail lashed like a whip, and now it was the size of a small elephant. Its tail swished, and with his eyes Minato could see the harsh glow of raw chakra surrounding it like a blade. Something moved to his left, and from the river, swarms of rats began to haul themselves out of the water, scurrying onto the bank. They grew with each step. Minato recoiled. Dad looked back and gestured with one hand.

"GO!"

And for a moment, Minato wanted to wait, just for a moment, just so he could be angry with him. So all the pain eating him alive would make sense. But he took a step back. He watched his fathers collide with the beasts together, and it was the first time, he realized, that he had ever seen them fight. They moved like two pieces of the same unit, fast, faster, quicker than he could have anticipated. And suddenly the name Uchiha didn't seem so far fetched. Ahead, the rat his fathers were fighting rose its fearsome tail. Gritting his teeth, Minato turned and ran, scooping up Mikoto in one swift movement. The rat brought down its tail, cracking it like a whip. Everything went up in a cloud of dirt and grass and a bang.

Minato fell, thrown by the blast, skidding over the gravel road, and he half expected Mikoto to scream in his arms. She was quiet and still. Her eyes were impossibly wide and wet.

He had no time to think, or to pause and wonder about the anger that burned inside of him. To wonder how his fathers were doing.

His ears were ringing. Minato stumbled to his feet, wondering if he was holding Mikoto too tight. When he looked back, the house was overrun with rats, squirming, shrieking, in the dark. Little eyes flicked onto him, and suddenly, a group broke free to race across the road, down to Minato. His stomach twisted, then let go. He did not see his fathers. Minato ran.

Mikoto screamed. "Wait! Not without Daddy, not without Father! NO!" she screamed. She slapped him. Minato ran on. She pounded little fists on his shoulders, kicked her legs and wriggled. Minato ran on.

The rats were fast. Minato watched them burn with a black fire, and he knew, at that moment at least, that his fathers were alive. He stumbled into the darkness, losing the last half as the brush caught fire.

The forest sped by in a blur. Somewhere down the road, Minato could hear screams. But all else was quiet. An attack. Why? Minato cursed.

"Fuck!"

He leaped into the trees. Mikoto fell quiet again. Everything blurred together. Someone screamed. Minato fled deeper into the wood, down an old path he'd once forgotten. It was a dirt road that wove through the trees and led to a little house where an old man Minato didn't know very well lived with his dog. The old man, Shuji, came out of the house with a knife. Minato pulled himself into shadow the instant the door burst open, spilling butter-yellow light onto the grass.

"Who's there?"

But something else was coming, someone else was coming, and Minato clamped a hand over Mikoto's mouth. He pressed himself tightly against a tree, moving quickly into a thicket. He closed his eyes with a frown and did his best to conceal his chakra. Slowly, he tilted back his head to look through the cracks of foliage. Above them, a three-man cell moved through the trees.

So quiet.

They moved so quietly.

Minato thought of a spider. These were no Guardians.

Minato shivered. Mikoto began to squirm. She was crying, he realized, her tears seeping through the cracks in his fingers.

The hunters fell out of the trees. Shuji stumbled back. Minato held his breath. He watched. They each wore masks. He saw a dog. A cat. A mouse.

"I don't want no trouble," he cried, brandishing his knife, and he looked pale in his swath of light. The hunters were quiet. The old man's dog slinked behind in the doorway, whimpering. In the distance, a shot sounded. Someone had a lancer. Shuji looked back at the hunters incomprehensibly.

"What-what's going on?"

"This village is rogue territory," began one of the nin, and her sweet, high voice contrasted with her black disguise and ruthless stance. It was eerie, slipping from under the whiskers of her cat mask. "If you cooperate, we will escort you off the mountain safely. There is no need to worry."

Shuji gulped audibly. Minato watched.

"Rogues?" parroted Shuji. He licked his lips. "Ain't no rogues here. Just honest, hard-working families." He didn't drop his knife.

The kunoichi in the cat mask nodded to her companions, and without a word, and faster than Minato had ever seen anyone than his fathers on the mountain move, they skirted around Shuji and went into his house. Mikoto trembled in Minato's arms. He held her tighter. The ninja waiting outside the door looked around. Something shattered in Shuji's house. The old man startled.

"Hey!"

"L'emme go!" The rest of the team returned with a young woman in two. One held her firmly by her braid. She was still in her nightgown.

"Name," asked the kunoichi boredly. The girl in her nightgown looked terrified. She choked on her own words.

"Name?" she repeated, more slowly, and there was a new hardness to her voice.

Shuji tried to intervene. "No, no-it's just my daughter. It's just my daughter, please!"

"She was hiding in a crawl space in the attic," said the man in the dog mask. The woman hummed thoughtfully.

"She's no trouble, I swear!"

The heady smell of woodsmoke began to snake through the trees, and Minato looked to the sky. Black smoke choked the moon, rising from the direction of his family's house. He stared at it, and he didn't dare wonder.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!"

The leader of the team calmly flipped through her book. "This village is rogue territory, as I've said. You're housing enemies of the Fire Country. We're here," she said, seeming to find what she was looking for in her little book and tapping a gloved finger on the page, "to contain it."

Suddenly the girl slumped, and it had been so quick Minato had missed it when he'd looked down at Mikoto. Shuji yelled, screaming a scream so horrible Minato covered Mikoto's ears and looked away. Mikoto whimpered quietly. Minato stiffened. The kunoichi's head snapped back to glare into the shadows. Minato held his breath.

Minato held still, trying, harder than he ever had in his life, to contain his chakra. There was this sick feeling of adrenaline coursing through him now that he had felt the same day he'd fought with Enma. He knew he could do it. It was easy. But now a mistake could kill him. Or Mikoto.

He kept his eyes on the girl on the road as he concentrated, watched Shuji kneeling beside her, sobbing. He thought of his fathers and the rats, the smoke climbing into the sky, and something terrible, horrible, crept into his mind.

_Let me out_, whispered the Kyuubi. _Free me, and I'll help you find them. We do, after all, have a deal._

_On my terms!_ reminded Minato, annoyed.

_I will help you. You will not be alone._ And the demon sounded almost sweet. Sincere. Understanding. Minato shook. He swallowed back fire. Mikoto's fingers pinched into his skin, and he concentrated on her nails, digging into his neck. The demon within him surged, restless, and Minato imagined he could feel it pressing against his bones.

He didn't think of Dad, sitting on the hard floor of the living room, one eye closed, and saying, _concentrate_.

Minato didn't need it. He could do it on his own.

Not yet, he thought.

The ninja took another step. Minato trembled, but not from fear. There was a rip, and a roar, deep in his chest. Her eyes met his through the forest shadow, and his brow furrowed. She couldn't see him. Not yet.

"Boruto," she called, and the one in the mouse mask stepped to her side. Minato scowled. Without a word, the nin lifted the mouse mask, and Minato saw a young man's face. There was something about him that made Minato believe that maybe the boy had killed someone once before, but another glance at the innocent look on his face made Minato doubt it. The boy's eyes wandered over to the shadows. They were white. The hairs on the back of Minato's neck stood on end, and Mikoto's fingers pinched deeper into his skin. He wondered what the boy could see with his white eyes. Minato clenched his teeth. Prepared to reach for his tanto.

"_Byakugan_!" the boy grunted. Minato held his breath. The boy stared at him, and Minato knew he could see him. He knew, because of how sharply his gaze lingered. Then slowly, the nin looked away.

"No one," he said, and he said it like he was bored. His eyes lingered on Minato's position a moment too long.

"No one?" asked his superior curiously. She put a hand on her hip and fingered a shuriken star. Without much warning she tossed it into the shadows. The boy before her winced. Minato held still. The star thudded into a tree trunk. Blood trickled down his neck. It had clipped his ear. His skin felt too tight. He struggled to hold his breath, so it wouldn't hiss between his teeth.

"Hmm. I thought I'd heard something. But remember, Bo, no one here is innocent."

_Finish it now_, said the demon. _Release me. You cannot handle these men on your own_.

But then they received a radio signal, and the leader spoke into her headset. She spat a curse. Without another word to old man Shuji, they dispatched. Minato didn't move for an entire ten minutes. When he did, old man Shuji watched him from his spot on the road. Shuji hadn't moved either. He'd shed his shirt, covering his daughter's face with it.

Minato sneered. I don't need you yet, he thought. The Kyuubi said nothing.

"Honest, hard-working men and women," Shuji said thickly, pausing to inhale a brittle breath. "We never hurt anyone. This," he nodded at his dead daughter,  
>"-this was supposed to be over. She never did anyone wrong. She wouldn't even have been able to fight them. She never even graduated." He squeezed his eyes shut, made a strangled noise.<p>

"We won the war. Why are they doing this?" He bent his head. Mikoto wrapped her arms around Minato's neck and buried her face in his shoulder. There was a silence. More shouts on the horizon. Minato walked away.

* * *

><p>The first night, he stuffed himself and Mikoto into a small, natural cave near a cliff side. The ceiling was low, and he had to hunch and crouch. Water trickled in from the river. Rocks jutted into his thighs, his back, and it was cold, cold, cold. Mikoto cried. Minato shivered. He stole heat from the Kyuubi until his palms burned. During the night he woke seventeen times. He'd counted. Once, he woke to a black heat bubbling off his skin, and he thought he was stuck in a nightmare, being dragged down, deep, deep into the water by something dark and venomous. But when he'd blinked again, it was all gone.<p>

_Just a little more_, sighed the demon. Minato hushed it. It was tied to him now, but it felt like it was crawling under his skin. He bit it back so hard he tasted blood in his mouth.

Once, he could hear the kunoichi's sweet voice. She was walking on the water of the river, her steps careful and precise. He held Mikoto and concealed their chakra.

If the boy, Bortuo, ever noticed them, he never said anything.

The next time Minato woke, it was to a dark figure crouching a foot away in the mouth of the cave. Minato brandished his tanto, holding a sleeping Mikoto with his other arm.

"Please," said the boy, and he held up his hands. "Can I hide in there with you?"

In his arms, Mikoto snored.

"Please, man," said the boy, and he started to cry. "Please. She's following me. I lost her an hour ago-but-" he couldn't finish. He wept. "It's a mad house. They're locking down the village. Not lettin' anyone in or out, and I got a record. Please-Holy shit, is that you, Minato? C'mon, man. Please! You know me. Right? It's fucking mayhem man. You know they're saying the Fire Lord's assassins are here and they're trying to pull an assassination attempt on the new guy? Every rogue here's in for it. Guilty by association, right? And I dropped out." He babbled, trying to elbow his way into the cave.

_He's loud_, said the demon, and Minato knew it was true.

Minato did know him. It was Ayato, the boy who used to hang with the group that gave Minato a black eye once. The boy who'd beaten on him for being with Ruriko the year he'd turned seventeen. So one day, Minato had given Ayato a black eye, too. He'd broken Ayato's nose that day. He could still see where he'd broken it, along its crooked ridge.

_What has this boy_, the demon wondered, and Minato could remember as it spoke,_ ever done for you? He's taunted you. Hit you. Humiliated you. What do you owe him?_

Minato dropped Mikoto, pointed his short blade straight at Ayato's nose. Mikoto let out a startled yelp. Ayato scrambled away, making a lot of noise. Minato winced.

_My, what a wicked heart you have,_ laughed the Kyuubi. Minato twitched, as though its voice had curled around his ear.

Ayato slumped, disbelieving. "Don't leave me out there."

_Listen to him whine,_ snarled the demon.

Minato looked at Mikoto, whimpering and shivering, her legs spattered with mud. She hugged her doll. He looked back at Ayato and out into the night. He didn't drop the tanto.

"Get. Out."

_Out_, laughed the demon. So _you would send this wretched soul away? Oh, Minato, what would your fathers say?_ The demon taunted him now. It enjoyed his unease, his pain. It enjoyed to taunt him almost as much as it enjoyed whispering sweetly to him, hoping Minato would listen. Minato grew angry. His heart twisted in his chest, and he wasn't sure if he was furious, or sad.

"Shut up," snarled Minato. His _tanto_ shook violently, and Ayato looked frightened, perplexed.

"But-but-I didn't-" The boy shook his head, trying to get a hold of himself. "Please, Minato-"

Minato remembered the rats. The kunoichi. He took a breath, cracked his stiff neck to feel a little more of himself creep into his bones. The fox quieted, but its burn remained. Minato shook. He looked up at Ayato. Ayato stared at him like he was someone frightening. And maybe he was reconsidering hiding in a hole with Minato.

"Not enough room."

Suddenly Minato could feel a presence, and he knew the hunters were in the trees, somewhere. He hissed, "Go!" There was something about him, about Mikoto, he knew, that the hunters wouldn't hesitate to kill.

Uchiha, he remembered the bounty hunter say.

Ayato didn't move. Instead, he grew frightened, sensing that Minato knew something he didn't, and tried hurling himself into the cave. Mikoto whimpered, and when Ayato tried to shove her aside and she screamed, Minato kicked him square in the chest.

"No, no! Let me in!"

They grappled, hunched and low to the ground, trying to keep their heads from scraping the cave's ceiling. Mikoto began to cry.

"Don't, Minato, don't!" she pleaded, and squeezed her eyes shut when Ayato flew at Minato. A swift punch to the jaw had Ayato back on the muddy ground, gasping. He looked dazed, and maybe Minato had broken his nose again.. Mikoto began to sob, and Minato looked back to shush. As Ayato rose up into a crouch in his peripheral, Minato saw his left arm clench.

_Know your opponent_, he could remember Father saying, _if you pay attention, keep your eyes open, they'll tell you what they're about to do._

The anger in Minato's blood ran hot. He tried not to think of Father.

Before Ayato could smash that rock into Minato's right temple, Minato brought the flat end of his tanto down hard. A stunning blow to the face. The fist-sized rock plopped into the little steam in the cave and fell away, useless. Minato crawled over Ayato, gaping and breathing through his mouth like a fish, and pinned him down with his legs. He wrapped cold fingers around Ayato's neck. He looked over at Mikoto. Her dirt-streaked face. Her running nose and the tear in the knee of her pants. She smashed her hands over her ears. She watched him with wide eyes. He wondered what his fathers would have done.

His chest ached. His rage kept his fingers on Ayato's neck, though they never tightened. He didn't think of his fathers.

The hunters were closer. It was hard to detect, but it was there, a feeling that made the hair on the back of Minato's neck stand on end. Ayato fingers flew to Minato's hands, and Minato noticed how cold he was, how ragged and dirty his nails were when his fingertips slipped over Minato's knuckles, white from the effort. His nostrils flared. He cried. Loudly.

Minato never did squeeze.

"You'll just lead her to us," he said, and he said it quietly, like an apology. He could feel the pump, pump, pump of Ayato's artery, jagged against his fingers. "I have to protect my little sister." But Minato had no apologies. Not for Ayato. Ayato stared at him.

So Minato closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Ayato's mouth went slack. Minato backed away, hunched, reaching for Mikoto. Slowly, Ayato moved away from the cave, crawling out of its mouth. He rose, like a sleepwalker, and moved across the river, over the water like a ninja, the only skill he'd ever learned. He stopped by the muddy bank. Minato waited for him to keep moving. To disappear into the trees. He didn't.

"Move, you idiot," Minato hissed. "Move." But Ayato didn't move. Instead, Ayato kneeled in the mud.

Minato sucked in a harsh breath and wondered what he could have done wrong. Father had shown him once-

He shook the thought. He could fix it. He had to. The demon's laughter resounded off the walls of his skull, and Minato's teeth chattered. He rose and crouched back down. Twice. Ayato never moved, and Minato watched the back of his head uselessly.

"Move."

The hunter nin fell from the trees. Ayato said nothing. Ayato didn't care. Ayato didn't care, because Ayato was lost in a trance.

When the kunoichi quickly read him his crimes, then stabbed him cleanly for his attempted treason against Osamu the Fifth by joining the "rogue resistance", Minato thought that at least Ayato had been dreaming. But his stomach roiled, bile crept up his throat. The fox laughed and laughed, and Minato tried to close his eyes against its malice. He could feel pain in his chest. He could feel it burn, and right then, he felt unsure. He thought of when he was ten and had accidentally killed the Kobayashi's dog. He wondered about his fathers. A part of him was still too angry to wonder. He battled the fox and thought, not yet. The nin flitted away.

Mikoto had stopped shivering. When Minato looked at her, she put her head between her knees.

* * *

><p>On the second day, Minato and Mikoto were still alone. Once, Minato had thought he'd seen a ficker of blond hair, but when he'd looked, Dad wasn't there.<p>

Minato took to the main road once the sun was bright in the east. The night had been filled with "containing it". Now there weren't very many people to contain. Or so he'd thought. Minato could still taste the smoke on his tongue. The forest had burned all night. Some of it was still burning, and it was creeping through the mountainside. He passed pillaged houses and families waiting on the side of the road with bags and blankets and tired faces. It was quiet on the mountain. Minato kept his head down.

It was so, so quiet.

He heard two old men talking, exhausted and smoking by the side of the road, and he paused to listen when he heard the name Uchiha.

"Assassins in this village, they say? Haven't seen anything this bad since the war. Back when Uchiha was on the fucking loose."

"Uchiha," grumbled the other. "But that villain's long dead."

Minato walked away.

Later, he tried to pull Mikoto off the road and ignored her protests and whines for something to eat. She held still when she saw a boy digging holes in the fields.

"Come on, Mikoto. Hurry up." He followed her gaze. From down an opposite hill, a cluster of families moved toward the fields to bury their children, friends, siblings, and one husband.

No one cried. Minato and Mikoto waited on the side of the road until it was over.

"Where's Daddy and Father?" asked Mikoto when the road had disappeared behind them. Minato ignored her. He began to wonder.

If they were dead, he thought, he could keep himself and Mikoto alive just fine. If they were dead...if they were dead-

The anger snared him, slow and cruel. _If they were dead_.

Mikoto dug her heels in and pulled on his arm. "I'm hungry."

Minato said nothing. He tugged at her. The ground was beginning to burn his feet. Minato realized, offhandedly, that he was still barefoot. His left heel was stinging. He'd sliced it open somewhere. They passed a few people wandering through the wood. None of them looked at him. Two of them quickened their pace, and another kept running. Minato wished he hadn't forgotten his shoes. Inside of him, the demon rumbled, and it spoke to him of Ayato. His grip tightened on Mikoto's hand.

He hadn't slept. He'd dreamed of Tsuki, with the shuriken star embedded in her eye. He'd dreamed of Father, picking him up off the ground and washing a scrape of his knee when he was five. He dreamed of the name Uchiha, and Dad saying, wait for it.

_Do you not remember how you despised him?_ asked the fox.

Minato shook his head, as if a fly had been buzzing around his ear. He thought of Ayato again. Of the day he'd broken Ayato's nose. How he'd howled and clambered on top of the other boy, even when he was down. Minato had split his knuckles.

_He hated you_, said the fox. _He hated you_.

Stop it, thought Minato, and his felt weary, heavy. But he hadn't realized he'd said it aloud, until Mikoto said, "_You_ stop it!".

By afternoon, he had a feeling he couldn't shake. Once, he thought he'd felt someone behind him, but when he'd looked, there had been no one. As they neared the base of the mountain, he caught wind of the villagers' talk as more moved through the trees, away from the road. The nin were in clusters in town, he heard. Some were still scaling the mountainside. There was fighting. Minato suddenly turned around. He could feel the eyes on him, but no one looked when he looked back.

Another time, he heard rustling in the brush, but when he grabbed his tanto and put Mikoto down, only a cat streaked away. He saw gangs of dirty children and teenagers. One pointed a scavenged lancer at his head until Minato drifted into the trees. By evening, he could hear the fighting at the village gates. The hunter nin returned to the woods. Minato kept to a deer path.

A mile later, Mikoto began to cry. Softly at first, before taking deep, shuddering breaths that shook her badly.

"I want my Daddies!" Mikoto sobbed suddenly, and she dug her shoes-the black shiny ones she loved so much that she was really only supposed to wear on nice occasions-into the earth, tripping herself over a root. Minato could see her tantrum beginning to bubble over. He picked her up. Minato said nothing to her, and when he held her closer, she tried to push him away. She threw herself back with a jerk, her hands on his face, pinching, as she screamed.

"I don't want you! I don't want you!" She swung at him with her doll. He let her.

"Be quiet-" and he could feel that old anger beginning to surge. His eyes flicked nervously to the trees, but he saw nothing there.

"Nooo! Nooo!" she shouted, and she held herself at length, becoming deadweight, bending over backward in his hold. "Where are they?"

"Be quiet!"

"WHERE?"

"Mikoto!"

She hit him in the face with Miki again. He ripped the doll away from her, flinging it into the woods. She wailed louder.

"You're gonna get us killed."

"NOT MIKI. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

"That's enough!"

"You're mean," she said. "You're really mean, and Daddy's gonna be _mad_ at you when he finds out!" And she looked at him like she had back at the house before the rats. A bubble of unease popped in his stomach. He sucked in an angry breath.

"Dad and Father aren't here! You have to listen to me!"

"No!"

"Look at me, Mikoto," he breathed. She screamed again, so he grabbed her chin in a vice-like grip and forced her to look him in the eye. He remembered Father doing it, once, the day she was born. He still hadn't forgotten, and neither had his Sharingan as it had swirled. Mikoto went limp after a moment, drifting off into sleep.

A twig snapped. Minato whirled around. He could hear the pop of lancers, shooting off little barbed stars into the twilight, somewhere.

But there was movement to his right. Minato bounded upright, into the branches above, Mikoto in his arms. He had leaped past two trees when a red face suddenly burst into his vision.

"Minato!"

"Argh!" He cursed, and nearly fell. "Kosuke!" he growled, and caught hold of himself. "What are you doing here?"

The toad blinked at him, but said nothing, only hurried forward to look at Mikoto and splay a webbed hand over her forehead.

"Oh, thank the Gods," he cried, and Minato realized he was caked in mud, his little vest gone. "Oh, oh." He gingerly tucked a black strand of hair behind Mikoto's ear. He frowned.

"Come. Quickly. The village is still under apprehension. Things are about to really go sour, but I can get us away-"

Minato didn't move. The toad looked back when he realized he wasn't being followed.

"Where are my fathers?" Minato asked. The toad looked away.

"I don't know." He wrung his hands together as he said it.

There was a heavy silence.

"You left them," Minato said. Kosuke's throat swelled in indignation, but Minato didn't miss the look of shame.

"I was ordered to. Yes."

"You left them," repeated Minato.

"You two were far more important to them-"

Minato snorted. "Now they can keep their secrets." He said it purely out of spite, out of agony. There was a rip and a roar in his chest.

The demon laughed. Oh, how they have spurned you, it cooed. Minato closed his eyes, made an irritated nose through his nose.

Kosuke gaped at him, oblivious. "You are a brat, Minato." Kosuke had always been quick to call Minato a brat.

It grated on him.

_The toad talks too much, though nothing important ever comes out of its mouth_, said the fox, gleeful. _Does it not anger you? How unfair that it should spout about your fathers to you, dismiss your anger, your pain, when it could have known all along._

Minato eyed Kosuke venomously. "You've always known everything, haven't you?" Kosuke didn't deny it. Minato thought of the two old men on the road, talking about Uchiha. Of the bounty hunter, going for his eye with a knife.

Kosuke shook his head, weary. "Right now, it doesn't matter who they were, only who they are. They have loved you, and cared for you, taught you so much-"

"Yet they couldn't tell me who they really were? Who I really was?"

The toad's frown twisted. "That is none of your business. They'll discuss with you when they deem it appropriate."

Minato grimaced. "Tch."

"Now, come on. We haven't much time."

Minato didn't move. He only asked, "Where?"

"_My_ mountain," said Kosuke, and he coughed up a scroll. Up ahead, the wood began to smell of smoke. The fire was closing in.

Minato watched the smoke rise. "Mount Myoboku?" The Toad Lands. There were nights Dad used to sit by Minato's bed, whisper stories about the world where Kosuke came from. Minato used to draw pictures of what he imagined it looked like when he was small.

"It's been nearly nineteen years." Kosuke said quietly, and Minato wondered if fear lurked behind the faraway look in his eyes. "I-" his webbed hand hovered over the open scroll. "I've been away so long, the door is closed to me." Minato watched him touch a character on the scroll. It lit up, twisted, swirled.

_Will you run and hide?_ wondered the demon.

The fire that was burning was beginning to rage, Minato realized. The smoke was beginning to creep through the trees. He scowled.

_Will you run and leave all to burn...as your fathers did?_

Minato didn't wonder what it meant, only clenched his jaw. He looked down at Mikoto. She slept peacefully.

Kosuke seemed frightened. "Hurry now-"

Minato, sighed the demon, but Minato ignored it.

"There," pointed Kosuke. "Just place your thumb there. No need for blood. This is different. You just need to be able to come along with me."

But when Minato touched the scroll, something different happened. The characters began to swirl again, and Minato noticed an odd look cross Kosuke's face. The toad held his scroll closer.

"What-?"

The ink began to bleed red, running down in rivulets. In revulsion, Kosuke dropped the scroll with a horrified croak, wiping the ink on his hands in the leaves.

Minato didn't understand.

And that was when Kosuke turned to look at Minato. Slowly, this time, as if he hadn't seen him before. Finally, Kosuke swallowed, and but he didn't look Minato in the eye.

"It's alright. It's alright," but Kosuke seemed to be saying it for himself and not for Minato. "Let me have Mikoto," Kosuke said after he'd taken a breath. "I will take her for you. She must be heavy after a while."

Minato smiled a little once he understood. "You're afraid of me."

Kosuke was afraid, but Kosuke said nothing. He paused. Finally he said, "Don't be foolish."

Minato nodded at the scroll. "What was that?" His bones began to tremble around Mikoto.

Kosuke waved his hands in dismissal, but he twitched. "There is nothing to worry about-"

"Don't," snarled Minato, "lie to me, Kosuke." But Minato thought he already knew, deep in his bones, what it meant.

Kosuke shivered. He watched the smoke in the forest before answering, "Demons cannot cross our gates. We sealed up our path long ago. Ancient jutsus protect the mountain. Sealed inside the belly of a Jinchuuriki is one matter. But a demon-" he stopped.

"A demon _what_?"

Kosuke looked Minato in the eye. It was foolish.

"What have you done, Minato?" Kosuke whispered. What have you done, the dog summon had asked him earlier. What have you done.

In the demon's cell, Minato remembered Enma's ghost watching him before he disappeared in a cloud of spray. He thought of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's claws as they curled around steel bars.

_"Do we have a deal?"_

Minato had watched the steel prison warily, on his knees in the pool, his fingers splayed in the water. But Enma was gone. Enma had always been gone.

"Like I'd trust you?"

It paced restlessly, snapping its jaws. "_And what can you hope to be without this power, whelp? Does it matter if you trust me?"_

"You-"

_"And what of me? What am I now, locked away in your dying mortal body, bound forever to your very soul? I am nothing until you say I am_." It said this hatefully, and Minato looked up at it. For a long moment he said nothing. The demon swayed in the dark, and Minato could feel its anticipation like a chill on its skin. In this place of heat, it almost made him feel ill, feverish.

_"Even here, I am bound in your father's cage!"_ it roared. "_You only need to open it. The door to your own heart. It is not so hard. This seal you see?"_ It claws raked against the characters pinned to the steel. "_Only a reflection of where I truly lay._"

Minato was quiet. The pool was still, and he wondered where Enma's face had gone.

"_What will you do, whelp_?" urged the demon. When Minato said nothing, it snarled and threw itself at the bars.

"_If I so desired, do you not think I would have freed myself a lifetime ago_?"

Minato watched his hands in the water, clutching at the red floor, where Enma's face in the pool had been.

"_Think_." And Minato's heart seized in his chest when Enma's ghost melted out of the dark behind the demon's steel cage. Minato stumbled upright.

"_Think of what we can do for your world...together_." The demon's claws curled around the image it had created of Enma until the apparition again disappeared. Minato swallowed.

"_You could. You're the only one who ever could_," he remembered Enma saying. "_Think about it, Minato_."

"You come out," Minato said finally between clenched teeth, and the demon laughed, "only when I say."

The Kyuubi growled. It snarled and paced, until it stared at him from inside the gloom of its prison. It cocked its head. "_Very well, boy_," it rumbled, and it grinned widely, "_but give me proof of your word_."

"Proof?"

The Kyuubi snapped its jaws again. "_A sign of your loyalty. Give me your eyes_."

Minato startled, finally looked up into the demon's eyes. "My eyes?" he whispered, and his mind churned.

"_Do you think I'm so easily taken advantage of?_" The demon cracked a grin. "_I wish to be free, but even I know to look before I leap. Let me see through your eyes while you keep me caged. If I am to wait...I desire a little something to sate my hunger_." And there was a hunger in its voice. Something greedy, full of need.

"_How long has it been_," it whispered, "_how long has it been since I've seen the world beyond this wretched cage_?" The demon curled around its bars once more. It held out a claw and curled it, and Minato could feel the heavy weight of its sadness. Its pain.

"_Take it, Minato. Take it_."

Minato stared.

"_There is so much we can achieve. Together."_ The demon smiled maliciously. "_Take it. It is not so hard_."

Minato stood and reached out his hand.

"Minato?" asked Kosuke, and Minato blinked.

"Give me Mikoto, Minato. You don't look well," said Kosuke, and he grew with each breath. Minato eyed him warily. He took a step back. The demon's laugh echoed in his mind. He closed his eyes.

"Minato?" asked Kosuke.

"I have her," he said gruffly, and his hold around Mikoto tightened. He opened his eyes and took a step.

"I know, but-"

"I said I have her!" Minato snarled, and the toad shrank away. In his arms, Mikoto slept on even when he swayed and nearly fell, hunching over the demon's wicked laugh.

"She-" said the toad suddenly, and Kosuke swallowed. "You have her in a genjutsu, don't you?" The smoke curling through the trees thickened. It stung Minato's nose.

"She was too loud," said Minato, and he trembled. Kosuke stared at Mikoto, limp in Minato's arms.

"Give her to me, Minato."

Minato didn't move. Neither did Kosuke. Kosuke sighed. Minato closed his eyes.

"At least sit down. Just for a minute. You look tired." The toad herded him to a rotten stump. Minato didn't sit. He watched the smoke slip past his feet.

"There's a fire," said Minato. Kosuke didn't reply. He croaked.

"It's going to be alright."

Suddenly there was sunlight, and bird song, and Minato was dappled in shadow from the forest canopy instead of huddled under the midsummer gloom. The smoke had disappeared, and it was like there had never been a fire. Minato felt heavy, so heavy.

He wondered why he'd wanted to keep walking in the first place. Where was he going? How could he have forgotten?

"Go ahead. Sit. Your fathers will be along in a moment. Why don't you rest?"

Kosuke hopped forward, leading him to a stump a few feet ahead. Something felt wrong, but Minato couldn't place it. He looked down at Mikoto, asleep in his arms. A bird flew overhead, and he tilted his back to watch it. A rest sounded like a good idea. He took a step forward.

"_Open you eyes, whelp_," the breeze hissed as it murmured past, and Minato startled, pausing, letting Kosuke pull on him.

"What?"

"_You're lucky you gave me your eyes. Now open them, stupid boy_."

The grim wood he'd known eclipsed Minato's peaceful little copse of trees. It jarred him, left Minato feeling stunned for half a second, but his eyes were already spinning.

He'd opened his eyes. And with his eyes Minato could see Kosuke preparing for a stunning blow in his left peripheral. There was something else there-a softness, a kind of apology. He hadn't been aiming to kill. Kosuke didn't get far. Minato turned his head at the last second, and Kosuke gaped, eye to eye with the tomoe. His mouth hung open, and he seized, going rigid mid-leap. He shrunk down to the little toad Minato had always known, and flopped uselessly on the forest floor. Kosuke didn't move. His throat kept pulsing, quick, as though he were croaking in his dreams.

Minato watched him for a moment before stepping over him. There was a part of him that had always disliked Kosuke, and then, there was a part of him that wondered what Kosuke could be seeing.

Somewhere beyond the trees and the smoke, Minato could hear voices.

They come for you, said the demon, and again Minato could feel it, pushing against him, stretching his bones. It jarred him, made him sick to his stomach every time it decided to move.

"Stop it."

_You bore me, whelp. You're just like your idiot father. Relying on me to stay alive. No matter. Now you've given me...just enough..._

Minato dropped to one knee, gasping, and for a moment, he wondered if he was about to split in two. His right hand flew to his chest.

_You are every bit as stupid as they are, or were, if Fate is good_, said the demon gleefully, and Minato groaned, crying out in anguish as the demon squirmed. He held Mikoto fast to his chest.

_Stupid human_, the demon hissed. _You gave yourself to me foolishly_.

"We had a deal-" gasped Minato. "You-"

_We did have a deal! Oh yes, we did. And you should know that the minute you used me to break free of that toad's genjutsu, you opened the door, just a little. You gave me your eyes, after all. Use them, and you let a little part of me go with them._

"You lied to me."

"_I never lie_," laughed the demon. "_You were just foolish enough to believe you could trust my obedience with your survival. That your life could override my hate. My revenge."_

Minato shook under his own weight, now kneeling in the leaves and smoke, bent over Mikoto.

The demon snarled. _NO ONE can contain me!_

And in his head, Minato could hear its terrible roar. He could imagine its eyes, bright as embers and large as the moon, wide and hateful. His chest ached, ached, ached, and he fell to his knees. In his arms, Mikoto was still. Her head lolled.

"No," gasped Minato, and Mikoto suddenly felt heavy in his arms. A twig snapped. It grated on his ears. He growled, and it took him a second to realize it came from his own throat. Faster, faster, he had to get out of here. Someone was coming.

He wove through the trees.

_You're mine, Minato_, laughed the demon, and it pushed again and again. _You, and Mikoto, you were always mine_.

"Shut up," gasped Minato.

_Soon_, it said, and it pushed at his bones again. Minato bit back a scream and dropped Mikoto. _Soon, you will not be able to stand the pain. You will have to let me go, one way or another. There is something to take away from this, boy_, said the demon, and Minato's eyes squeezed shut when a rib cracked. He reached for Mikoto, sprawled in the leaves, silent and still.

_Never give a demon your hand, and never give one your eyes when it asks_.

The smoke grew heavier, and Minato coughed on it. It filled his eyes, his mouth, until his tongue tasted like ash and his eyes watered. His vision clouded. The demon laughed. Minato crawled through the leaves.

Up ahead, not so very far away, he noticed the dark silhouette of a small public bathroom. It was something hidden away and rarely used. Minato could remember summers when he was younger and his fathers would bring him up here to train, and he used to avoid them because of the old stink of a place that had been used once and never returned to or cleaned again. There were two stalls. A bathroom with a sink. The voices rose higher through the smoke. They weren't far away now. There was a rustling in the trees. He looked for Mikoto, grabbed at her fingers with his.

_And when you give yourself to me_, whispered the demon, _and I burst free from your ribs, I will take her, too. There will be no need for me to wait for her to grow and understand me. I will be whole again. Do you know what it is like, to be torn in half, Minato? It is a reality I live everyday. Do you know what it feels like?_

He choked on blood when it tickled his spine and squeezed his stomach. Through it all he cold feel the demon's own pain. Its rage and its power.

_How troublesome it is_, said the fox. _that you leech off my power and heal as quickly as I_.

Minato left Mikoto in the leaves. He wouldn't be gone long, he told himself. But he wouldn't have been able to carry her anyway. Minato rose to his knees. He fell.

_Why are you running, Minato_? _Why run, when I've already shown you what kind of man you are?_ _Will they still love you when they know what you've done? Who you really are?_

Minato's palms slapped on the concrete slab the bathroom stalls were built on. He heaved himself up. He watched his own blood pool on the concrete before falling through one of the swing open doors. The tile was cool on his cheek. The smoke curled thicker, seeped under the bathroom door. He thought of Dad's grin, of Father's calm smile. He thought of Mikoto chasing him through these woods once, when everything was calmer and greener.

_Don't do this to yourself, Minato. Let me out. Let me out, and it will end_.

Minato gasped and shook his head. He dragged himself across the floor. On his knees again, he reached for the bathroom sink. Nothing had ever looked so far away before.

As Minato reached for the lip of the sink, he thought of how, when he'd taken the demon's claw, everything that had ever seemed wrong seemed so much worse than it was before. How everything that had ever hurt him, ever angered him, ever pained him, had bubbled to the surface to sting his skin over and over and over again. And when he'd yelled at his fathers, when he'd stood in that moonlight watching the horror creep over their faces, he'd relished it then, because through the pain it felt like he'd righted something that had wronged him. He'd felt powerful.

Now, in the demon's hold, he could hardly stand.

He thought of his family.

"_Never give up, Minato! No matter what happens!_" Dad had always told him, and when Minato was smaller and covered in dirt or sore all over, he wanted to cry or snap or yell at Dad for even trying to say it.

"_No, don't say it!"_ his younger self would cry.

Dad would laugh, ruffle his hair, and say, "_It only ends when you stop trying_."

Minato had hated him the whole summer when he was thirteen. He'd hated him, hated Father whenever he chastised him or corrected his stance with a cool stare. He had cried, had loved them so dearly that the thought of his fathers lying him, or that Dad wasn't even his Dad at all, had made him ill.

But he thought of Dad and Father now, and Minato still loved them.

He thought of Father. of the summer he was twelve and training so hard he'd sprained an ankle. Father had taken him to his side and knelt down to look at him. Minato had grumbled, "_Guess I'm not strong enough_."

Father had only said, "_You're already strong, Minato_." And to Minato, right then, that had meant everything.

Even when he'd wanted it to mean nothing it always had. It still did.

Minato spat blood into the bowl of the sink. His legs trembled beneath him, but he stood, gripping the sink for support. _S__omething my host handed right down to you. I'm impressed. But there's nothing left for you to do, boy. I already have you. Have you already lost your mind to the pain, boy? What is left here? _It moved within him just to hear him scream. It laughed.

Minato grit his teeth. "Yeah," he ground out, "You got me." And he looked up. In front of Minato was a mirror. It was a dirty, smeared slab of hammered out metal, but Minato could still see his face.

He could see the demonic chakra beginning to rise off his skin like a black steam. It bubbled like it boiled. His right eye twitched uncontrollably. The Sharingan stared back at him. The _tomoe_ swirled. He didn't remember activating it, but that was because he hadn't. Randomly, he thought of Ayato.

_Enma, was it?_ said the demon, and Minato trembled. _The name of the boy who brought this out of you._

Minato watched his eye spin and swirl, until a new shape of the Sharingan he'd never seen before burned in his reflection.

_What an unusual name for a human_.

"Stop fucking with me." Minato closed his eyes and opened them. Wondered how much control he had left. He bit back a scream when the demon broke a rib.

_Just say it, Minato. It's already over. At an end_.

Minato stared at his Sharingan.

He took a breath and said, "Come out."

It felt like chaos, like fire, all caught up in a wind that blew at him full force. It felt like his body was bending, further and further, unbelievably to the weight of the demon.

But still he held on. Still he watched. "Come out," he yelled at it, and the black chakra grew blacker, denser, and then he could see it mold into a vulpine face, like he wore a mask. A black fox. It snarled at him.

It didn't notice the mirror at first.

Minato's Sharingan spun. He never did look away from the mirror, even as the demon roared. Even as he felt himself break and he wondered if he was about to die.

It was called the Mangekyo, he would learn later, and it was the Mangekyo that he stared at in the mirror as the demon surfaced. It was the Mangekyo that swallowed the demon whole as it tried to break free.

* * *

><p>AN: So, that author's note that said I didn't want to stun people with 40 page chapters?

Guess what?

I stunned you with 38. These are just so long. Oh well.

**Preview for FINAL part 3:**

Sasuke could not see the sky overhead. Only smoke. Naruto was somewhere to his left. He couldn't see. But he could hear him, breathing slow and hard.

"I will ask you one more time," he said, and with his one eye he looked into the sightless pink eyes of the rat summon before him.

"Who sent you?"

The summon laughed. "I am not so easily swayed, Uchiha." She snapped her incisors. "But we will find what we have come for. You have lived in peace for eighteen years. But those years were more than you ever deserved."


End file.
